The True Heart of the Earth
by Sunlight Halation
Summary: The past is full of secrets, lies and half-truths. As they get closer to the truth, everyone starts to question their roles in both their previous and current lives, and most of all, their loyalty to their princess. Betrayal fic.
1. Prologue

A/N: *Sighs* Yes, I deleted "True Heart of the Earth" and have uploaded a newer version of it. I just wasn't satisfied with it. But I have planned things out better this time. Third time's a charm! ^^;

Also, I'll be taking certain elements from the manga:

 ***The Golden Crystal is the Earth's equivalent to the Silver Crystal and is Mamoru's crystal** : I'm not really a Mamoru fan, but I do think it was unfair how little he was developed in the anime, especially in terms of powers.

 ***The Senshi's past in the Silver Millennium is taken from the manga, including their relationships with the Shitennou** : This is because we've seen more of their previous lives in the manga, including their roles as the Solar System Sailor Princesses. Also, _Crystal_ (which follows the manga closely) confirmed what Naoko Takeuchi had implied about the Inner Senshi/Shitennou pairing.

 ***I'll be including attacks that were only used in the manga/ _Crystal_** : Like my issue with Mamoru, I hated how the Inner Senshi didn't level up as much as Sailor Moon in terms of attacks. Hate on the manga/ _Crystal_ as much as you like, but at least the Inners had their own cool attacks.

 ***The details of Neo-Queen Serenity's ascension to the throne and the formation of Crystal Tokyo will be taken from the manga** : The whole "Earth being plagued by a second ice age and Serenity waking up in the 30th century to save the planet" deal never made sense to me. And since I'm following the manga canon of Crystal Tokyo, the Silver Crystal Chibiusa uses is one she generated herself, rather than the one the queen passed down to her.

 ***The movies are not canon in this story:** They do not exist to me.

Also, this story takes place in the 21st Century like _Crystal_ *covers ears to block out the groaning of the _Crystal_ haters* so expect to see some smartphones, tablets, and some references to real-life modern day occurrences.

Remember, you have to build up to the rise before you get to the great fall.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters.

* * *

The moonlight carried the message of love.

The Earth was the land of hope.

Her existence, connected to the shining white pearl that graced the night sky, was incredibly lonely, comforted only by the serene sea she frequented. Though her role in life was undeniably more important than most others', she detested it at times. She was only to guide and watch over them from afar— _n_ _ever_ to interfere with them directly. So from her post, she watched over them all, observing the simple happenings of their everyday lives; she watched them grow and experience happiness, sadness, and suffer through madness and horror. She watched people find true love with the ones they cherished, and watched others go through heartbreak. She watched families come together and watched others be torn apart. While such affairs were considered trivial to the rest of her kind, her heart went out to all those souls as she did her best to guide them. Even though she was obliged to support them, she loved them as if they were her own people.

And then she saw _him_.

A compassionate visage that soothed the hearts of anyone who gazed upon it, dark locks of luscious hair that often fell into beautiful ocean blue eyes that would put the seas of Neptune to shame, a tall, powerful figure that contrasted with his gentle nature, and a noble heart that could stir envy within the soldiers of Jupiter.

Transfixed by his beauty and pure heart, she began to watch him intently, secretly hoping no one of Venus would snatch him up. For days, she would gaze at him with hungry eyes akin to those of a starved lioness desperately wishing to ravish a delectable looking gazelle. Her obsession was distracting her from her duty, but she didn't care. She wished to marvel at her handsome specimen for as long as she wanted. But she soon grew tired of merely _watching_. Though it was taboo, she left the comfort of her Moon and ventured to the blue and green jewel of the Solar System.

Her kind was known to the people of this rural planet and she could easily be recognized by her porcelain complexion, moonlight colored hair, and the golden crescent symbol on her brow that marked which domain was under her rule. But she was going to be careful today; for her escapade, she donned the appearance of a Terran in order to fit in.

As she journeyed through a lush grassy plain of the Golden Kingdom, a small smile graced her ethereal features. The Moon had no vegetation to speak of. It was barren and lifeless—a desolate pearl that was only around to look pretty. She paused to enjoy the feeling of the warm breeze that was tickling her skin and causing her hair to flutter. The Moon didn't have a natural climate, so she didn't get to experience phenomena like wind. She watched as a light gale caused the shamrock green blades of grass and the nearby trees to sway rhythmically. It was as if the area was a choreographed welcome meant to give her a warm reception.

 _She must have known I was coming._

Her breath caught in her throat. There he was. Kneeling on the ground and tending to some wilting flowers, was her favorite obsession. Oh, he was _beautiful,_ a perfect embodiment of the Earth: grounded, mystical, and strong. When he looked up and met her eyes, a chill went up her spine.

At that moment, the clouds in the night sky parted and a shaft of moonlight rained down on her, highlighting her unearthly allure. Her eyes locked with his, and she could see it swimming in those pristine, ocean blue eyes—the desire to receive the message of love from the Moon.

* * *

On that rainy night, the harsh thrashing of raindrops against her side of her house didn't rouse her from her slumber, but soothed her, allowing her to sleep soundly.

As the sweet lull of dreams persuaded her to stay in the land of sleep, a white light filled the room, the rays of which caused her to toss and turn in her sleep. The light soon condensed into a humanoid figure. Observing her with gloomy eyes, they hesitantly walked over to her and caressed her cheek while fighting against the tears that were threatening to spill out. _Despite it all, she's still the same._ Lower, their hand drifted, down to the mound that was made visible by her tank top. They rested their hand on her cleavage, with their fingers brushing against her smooth breasts. As a bit of red filled their cheeks, they jerked their head away painfully, filled with guilt for what they were about to do to her. "I'm sorry," they choked out. "This is for the best."

Sounds of pain followed soon after, but they were immediately muffled. It was unclear how long the ordeal lasted, but throughout it all, she never woke up. She screamed as much as she was able—until her voice grew hoarse—but the mercy of consciousness never came to her. Once the job was done and the whimpering had subsided, they trudged away from her bedside. Their body, racked with shame, trembled violently as they hugged themselves in an attempt to shake away the remorse. They had done what was necessary and what they had just planted in her would soon take root.

When they left, she finally awoke, drenched with sweat. As her eyes adjusted to the dark room, her chest heaved with every deep breath she took. _My heart pounds._ She placed a clammy hand over her chest to calm her nerves. Once her vision solidified, she scanned her bedroom— a small space illuminated only by the moonlight streaming through the open window. She searched for anything that didn't belong, and sure enough, she'd found something. Trailing from the edge of the bed and leading to the window, were red petals. Roses? It may have been due to the sparse amount of light in the room, but for a moment— _just_ a moment—those petals looked like pools of blood.

But that wasn't what had her on edge.

At the end of the trail of petals, was a white butterfly with its delicate wings were torn and thrashed.

* * *

They had gathered in their usual meeting spot—Rei's room at the shrine—however, it wasn't just the five of them talking, studying, and eating snacks that day. In a rare occasion, the girls were joined by Mamoru, Luna and Artemis, and even the four soldiers of the Outer Solar System.

Mamoru stood off to the side, standing by the overturned table and the shattered China teapot, unfazed by the puddle of spilled orange jasmine tea he was stepping in as he directed his azure gaze to the two girls standing by Rei, his eyes full of disdain.

The Outer couple were by the open sliding door, looking down on the group in their usual manner as the afternoon August sunlight shone over them. Michiru was currently supporting Haruka by the arm, while the sandy blonde put a hand to the corner of her swollen, bleeding lip. The vexed Soldier of Uranus, however, was unperturbed by the blood dripping onto her fingers.

Setsuna stayed in the corner, nervously weaving and unweaving her hands. She averted her eyes from the scene, unwilling to look at the mess she had helped to create. She could feel her fellow guardians' burning stares on her, imploring her to speak against the Moon Princess, but she stayed silent.

Luna was curled up in the opposite side of the room to the Soldier of Pluto, her blue eyes nervously darting between the feuding groups as she wondered whose side she should take. Her feline eyes eventually found Artemis, narrowing in irritation at her future husband for deciding too quickly.

Rei was by her princess' side, angrily staring down the people who were supposed to be her friends and comrades. Her violet eyes drifted to the maroon bow-wearing girl who was being held back by the blonde heroine, keeping an eye on her just in the case her bloodied hand flew to the brooch that was resting on the bow of her school uniform.

In the center of the room, Hotaru stood between the fractured group, holding out her arms to keep both sides at bay. Her lips and fingers twitched as if she were planning to call upon the Planet of Ruin to aid her in defusing the argument.

To her right, Ami and Makoto rallied behind Minako; the red bow-wearing blonde sported a bruised and bloody nose, yet she treated her sore wrist with more care even as blood dripped onto her lips, all while her baby blue eyes, dark with contempt, glowered at the other bow-wearing girl who had given her the injuries in the first place.

To her left, the priestess-in-training of Hikawa Shrine stationed herself by the blonde messiah, her hand slipping into the skirt pocket of her uniform where a bit of white was visible. Most likely an ofuda to immobilize the others, she assumed.

The princess had her arms wrapped around the newcomer's shoulders—a sign of affection and restraint.

The newcomer stood protectively before the princess, her hands tightening in fists, ready to strike again should the other "guardians" make another move. She glared back at the Soldier of Love with scorn and mockery in her lazuli eyes, yet her expression was as hard as stone.

While everyone was either glaring at her or at each other, Usagi shut her eyes. She replayed everything that had led to this—from the most minor decisions to the major choices that led to this impromptu meeting—and she didn't regret a thing, even though they earned her a slap from the Venusian Senshi. She brought a hand to her stinging cheek and opened her eyes. When she did, Minako's scornful glare bore into her.

Minako straightened up, shrugging off Ami and Makoto's helpful hands. She wiped away the blood from her nose with a haphazard swipe of her hand, paying no mind to the crimson that stained the sleeve of her blouse. Looking her foolish "princess" dead in the eye, she spat out, "I regret protecting you."

Four months ago, those words would have shattered Usagi. She would have been reduced to a sobbing mess and gotten on her hands and knees, _begging_ one of her dearest friends to forgive her. She would have done _anything_ to keep them by her side, promising to shape up and be a better person, casting aside her "silly" behavior and conform to whatever they wanted. But now, Usagi gave the self-proclaimed Goddess of Love and Beauty a look of shame and pity, her next words conveying just how little she cared for the bow-wearing blonde and the others at that moment.

"I regret wasting my time on you slaves."

* * *

A/N: Please review!


	2. Chapter 1: Treasure

A/N: You have to build up to the rise before you get to the great fall.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Treasure**

In the ghostly dark of night was a lush green meadow, overrun with white roses that went on for miles, frequented by fireflies that broke through the darkness with little specks of golden lights. A warm zephyr blew through the field, causing the roses to sway rhythmically towards the center where she lay.

Sprouting from the earth were long thorny roots topped with white roses. They wrapped around her wrists, desperately clinging to her and digging into her skin with their thorns.

The light zephyr had picked up to an intense gale, carrying with it the potent scent of spring and the petals of the roses against their will, forcing them to dance its oppressive choreography. The wind created a gentle whistling sound, a melodious song of the meadow. But it was a song with only one lyric. "Atone."

She furiously struggled against the roots, causing blood to drip onto the roses beneath her, staining them red. Her petite, naked body with fair, unblemished skin trembled as she attempted to bring her hands together, only for the roots to pull them apart. Her hair, tied in two buns with streams of shimmering gold, trailed down and splayed across the roses below. The sensation of the glowing strands tickling her bare skin reminded her that pain and loathing weren't the only things she was capable of feeling. Fireflies gathered around her, bathing her in their golden lights. The light reflected in her sapphire orbs, and for a moment, her eyes shone pure silver.

"Take it back," she choked out through her tears. Despite the roots binding her, she again tried to bring her hands together, to clasp them together in a prayer for mercy.

But why would she need to ask for mercy here? The meadow was place of calm, a place of peace. The roses danced towards her as if saying, "You are safe here."

Oh, how far that was from the truth.

Sensing her distress, the fireflies abandoned her and spread out through the field. Each and every one of them fluttered above a rose before gently descending. The roses reacted to the presence of their invaders and began to shift, closing their petals and trapping the fireflies in ivory prisons.

"Take it back," she cried again, her voice breaking. "Take it back!"

Her struggling became more and more erratic; she fought against the roots with everything she had, but all she accomplished was marring her wrists even further, coating her hands in her own blood. The amount of crimson on her hands was starting to resemble a pair of gloves. "Take it back!"

The clouds parted suddenly, letting the luminous full moon shine through and pour a shaft of moonlight down on her. This light—it did _nothing_ to soothe her. It confined her, _condemned_ her, and berated her, berated her for being foolish, berated her for being selfish, berated her for thinking anything would change. Her hair began to react to the moonlight, swaying mystically in the breeze and gleaming even brighter than before, its golden shine contrasting beautifully against the pearl white light.

She felt her chest tighten as her forehead was set ablaze with a power that had both saved and destroyed her. Her body wracked with shuddering sobs as a golden crescent moon made its place on her brow. "Take it back!" she screamed into the night. The pain in her chest spread to her back, where her shoulder blades burned with a brilliant white glow before bursting into flames. As her back blistered from the searing heat, streaks of vermillion trailed down her spine. Her howls of pain blended with the now screeching wind in a terrific dissonance. The cacophony of agony came to a crescendo when a set of white wings burst forth.

The wind suddenly came to a stop, freezing the meadow in a deafening silence. The clouds disappeared completely, allowing the moon's light to cover the whole pasture. Influenced by the moonlight, all the roses in the meadow began to glow with a soft white light while the yellow silhouettes of the fireflies shone through the ivory. The yellow glares intensified until the roses finally bloomed. But instead of releasing the fireflies they had held captive, black butterflies had escaped and took off to dominate the night sky.

A gentle breeze once again governed the meadow, but it brought with it no spring scents, no dance of nature, and no melodies. It only served to herald the coming tragedy: From the center of each and every rose, a black substance bled through, spreading until it tainted every white edge. The petals shriveled and receded inwards, before finally crumbling into ashes that drifted away in the air.

Bathed and clothed in nothing but moonlight, blood, and the ashes of roses, she shuddered, no longer struggling against the thorny roots that bound her. "Please..." she begged, her voice barely above a whisper. Listlessly, she begged for someone, _anyone_ to take the pain away.

But nobody came.

* * *

Friday, in Classroom 1-1 of Juuban Municipal High School, the students all sat there on that dull April day, bored out of their minds as their teacher droned on and on about the history of the Salem witch trials. Many of them in the back had already fallen asleep before the lesson even started, and most of them up front were trying to pass the time by doodling in their notebooks or staring off into space. Only a few were actually taking notes, and those brave souls in the middle were currently playing on their phones. The school year had only just begun, and everyone was already clocked out and deploying their skills to evade the teacher's scrutinizing stare.

"The Salem witch trials began in the spring of 1692, in a village of Massachusetts when a group of young women claimed to have been possessed by the devil and accused other local women of being witches in order to relieve themselves of persecution. After a wave of mass hysteria spread throughout Massachusetts, over 170 people, including men, women, and children, were accused of witchcraft and hanged. By the fall of 1692, the hysteria began to die down and people started to turn against the trials. Though the Massachusetts General Court later annulled guilty verdicts against accused witches and granted indemnities to their families, bitterness lingered in the community, and the painful legacy of the Salem witch trials were endured for centuries." The teacher, Daisuke Takara, wrote the information he was discussing on the chalkboard.

After underlining the date when the witch trials ended, he went on, "And Arthur Miller's _The Crucible_ is an enlightening tale adapted from the Salem witch trials, showing just how far a person will go in order to get what they desire, even if it means ruining lives and leaving a trail of death and destruction in their path," he said, writing "SELF-PRESERVATION" on the board in all capitals. "The main antagonist, Abigail Williams participated in a ritual to claim the heart of her former employer, John Proctor, and when that failed, she tried to accuse his wife, Elizabeth of being a witch, all the while maintaining a good reputation by accusing other women of being witches. Since she admitted to being a devil's advocate, she was 'cleansed' of her sins, which made her a 'representative of God' in the public's eyes."

When Daisuke finished writing, he turned back to his students. "Now, can anyone tell me which character deserves the most sympathy, and why?" Only one student wasn't able to elude the teacher's gaze, but only because her unique hairstyle made her stand out. "Tsukino-san?"

Usagi Tsukino sat in her high school desk, totally zoning out. She looked out the window to her left, staring at two hummingbirds flittering in the air.

It took the impatient voice of her teacher to pull her out of her trance. "Tsukino-san! Please pay attention!" Daisuke called out to his oblivious student.

Usagi snapped back into reality with her cheeks flushed red from embarrassment. "Sorry, Takara-sensei..."

"Idiot..." a haughty voice giggled from the back.

Even though an inattentive student was a thorn in every teacher's side, Daisuke merely rolled his eyes and called on a girl who had raised her hand. "Yes, Midarana-san?"

The girl stood up and when she spoke, Usagi realized from her voice that she was the one who had called her an idiot. "I believe Abigail deserves the most sympathy, for you see, she witnessed the murder of her parents, and was led on by her employer, whom she believed loved her. She only wanted to recapture that feeling of love she experienced during that passionate affair, and love can make a person perform even the most heinous of acts, including orchestrating the deaths of many insignificant others."

"Yandere..." Someone fake-coughed a few seats over from Usagi, earning a viscous glare from the girl.

At this, Daisuke only breathed through his nose and went on with the lesson. The petty affairs of his students weren't his concern, nor were they major distractions in his class.

Usagi tried to keep her eyes on the board, but her mind was elsewhere. To make it look like she was actually paying attention, she reached into her bag and took out her sketchpad, managing to fool her teacher into thinking she was taking notes. She was tempted to smirk at her cleverness, but she had to keep a neutral face in order to maintain the facade.

* * *

This was a reckless idea.

She was extremely fortunate that the members of the cooking club weren't going to meet in the school's kitchen after school, but she had to hurry in case anyone came in. First, she got out a small pot, filled it half-way with water, and set it on the stove. While that simmered, she dug into her bag and took out the supplies she brought from home: a funnel, purple food coloring, a rubber band, and a blue water balloon.

Once the water was ready, she slowly poured in some flour and corn starch she "borrowed" from the kitchen's supply. She remembered what Akihiko had told her and made sure not to make the mixture too thick. Next, she added just four drops of food coloring to the blend. While she waited for it to cool, she briefly chided herself for starting trouble when she was supposed to be laying low.

 _'Don't you think she'd be ashamed?'_ her conscious nagged at her.

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. _'_ _She would be proud that I'm delivering retribution at a young age,'_ her stubborn side retorted. Grabbing the balloon, she stretched it open and placed the narrow end of the funnel inside. _It should be cool by now._ Returning her attention to the stove, she peered into the pot and was pleased to see the mixture was now a rich, purple color. Reaching into a drawer, she pulled out a pair of oven mitts. Donning the mitts, she carefully lifted the pot off the stove.

Cautiously, she poured the paint down the funnel and into the balloon. The color of the paint—the color of royalty—and the color of the balloon—a peacock blue shade—were a fitting combination, for her target was a proud peacock who always acted as if she were a princess, but after the stunt she had pulled earlier, it was clear she was no royal. Once the balloon was full, she used the rubber band to tie its mouth. She never was good at tying balloons so she typically used a rubber band to get the job done.

Now she was ready.

Sneaking out of the kitchen, she crept down the hall and waited for her target—the proud peacock—to arrive. Soon enough, her _annoying_ voice was heard before she even stepped into view along with her cronies and another girl whom she was arguing with; some girl with pink hair. She couldn't make out what they were fighting about, but she could tell by the arrogant and dismissive tone she used that the "peacock" couldn't care less.

Strengthening her resolve, she hurled her paintball balloon as hard as her arm strength would let her, directly at "Princess Peacock".

The ear-splitting scream that followed brought a smirk to her face.

* * *

During school hours, Classroom 1-1 was a solemn place as the students were quietly seated while focusing on their classwork. It was slightly different after school during detention; the students were able to contain themselves while the supervising teacher was present, but as soon as the "warden" left the room to take care of some business, they were free to be more relaxed: Students were careless with their behavior, sitting on top of their desks, being incautious with their volume, and tossing notes around even though there was no teacher to stop them. Those were the students who were too used to detention and didn't care too much about their tarnished school record. The conscientious students, who were one or two time offenders, sat quietly in the back, actually doing work.

Despite being able to trick her teacher, Usagi had to go back to her classroom for detention after school for not doing her homework... _and_ for getting caught eating in class.

As she scanned the room for a place to sit, she noticed a familiar girl sitting far in the back; a girl with long, buttercup blonde hair held up by a red bow.

The Soldier of Venus was slumped over her desk, reading a book, but Usagi caught sight of pink pages slightly higher than the natural white pages, indicating that Minako was secretly reading a manga instead of studying like she was supposed to be doing. Once the bow-wearing girl noticed Usagi, she smiled and waved her over. When the Moon Princess took a seat next to her, she let out a scoffing laugh. "I shouldn't be surprised that you're here."

"I could say the same thing about you!"

"Hey! I'm here for a noble reason!"

Usagi leaned forward and rested her arm on the desk, propping up her head with her hand. "Which is?"

Minako set down her book and interlocked her fingers. "I was in my home economics class and our assignment was to make a red velvet cake, even though I personally thought vanilla or chocolate would be better. Maybe even a strawberry shortcake like what Mako-chan—"

"Uh, Minako-chan?" Usagi interrupted, coaxing the other blonde to get to the point.

"Ok, so while I was mixing the cake batter, this girl was making harassing another girl in class!" Minako hissed out, angrily turning a page of her manga, not even bothering to hide it with the book anymore. "She was being so mean! Calling her names and even ruining the cake she was making by knocking it on the floor!"

"That's terrible!" Usagi exclaimed, prompting the more innocent students in the classroom to shush her. In a quieter voice, she asked, "What did the teacher do?"

"Nothing!" The bow-wearing blonde threw her arms into the air. "She was too busy reading a magazine to focus!"

Usagi was tempted to point out that Minako had been secretly reading a manga instead of doing homework moments ago, but didn't want to incur her wrath. "So what did _you_ do?"

Minako folded her arms and fought back a smirk in vain. "You know those tube things bakers use to squirt frosting? Well, I used one of those to squirt white frosting in her face!"

The odango-haired blonde went wide-eyed. "Wasn't that a bit much?" Whoever that bully was must've been a truly horrid person for Minako to have flown off the handle like that.

"Only to the teacher, who _finally_ looked up from her magazine!" Minako huffed. "She accused _me_ of causing trouble and gave _me_ detention, while that _wretch_ got off scar free!"

" _Scot_ free," Usagi corrected.

"Whatever! The point is, _I_ got in trouble for standing up for the oppressed, while the actual bully was treated like a saint!" She snapped her manga shut and angrily slammed it down on her desk to showcase her fury. Another person shushed her, but she silenced them with a sharp glare. "She wasn't even questioned! I swear, she has _everyone_ , students _and_ faculty, wrapped around her finger!"

The Moon Princess' shoulders drooped. "That's not fair at all..." As a soldier of justice, she couldn't help but feel slighted by the teacher's actions, even though she hadn't been there. Injustices like that were what reminded her of the limitations of her position. Against supernatural threats, she was a nigh-invincible guardian, but when it came to the everyday occurrences of social injustice, she was powerless.

Minako dismissively waved her hand at the subject. "So what are _you_ in for?"

Usagi's cheeks reddened with embarrassment. But what she did was nowhere near as rash as what the Soldier of Venus had done, so she explained, "I got in trouble for not doing my English homework and eating in class."

The bow-wearing blonde scoffed. "I should've known. Can't you resist being a glutton for _one_ second?"

"At least I've never used frosting as a weapon!"

"It was _justified!_ "

The rest of the students in the classroom—even the actual delinquents—collectively shushed the two blondes and went as far as to throw crumpled up paper balls at them.

Embarrassed, the blondes decided to be quiet and used their time in detention to do their homework like they were supposed to. At least, that was what they appeared to be doing. Minako went back to secretly reading manga, while Usagi took her sketchpad out again.

Drawing had become a good outlet for her. She loved to draw and found it to be a great stress reliever. Though when she first started drawing, it looked like the messy artwork of a 4-year old. But thanks to the lessons of the ever-patient Michiru Kaiou, Usagi managed to become a decent artist, even bordering on the level of a manga artist. Maybe she would join the manga club if they were accepting new members. After flipping past several pages, she made it to the drawing she started working on in class and let herself get lost in her art.

* * *

When detention was over, Usagi parted ways with Minako. While the Senshi of Love headed home, the Senshi of the Moon waited in front of the school gate for Mamoru to pick her up. He had promised to drive her home from school today, but he was twenty minutes late. _What's taking him so long?_

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Usagi was pulled out of her thoughts by the incessant beeping of her phone. When she checked it, she saw she had a new message from "Rose Prince".

 _"Sorry Usako, can't pick you up today. Too busy with my work. But walking is good exercise, right?"_

The Moon Princess sighed. Mamoru had been very inattentive lately; he had been cancelling dates with the excuse that he needed to study or that she needed to work on her grades. And whenever they _did_ go on dates, he would sometimes ignore her and only pretend to listen to what she was saying while being on his phone most of the time. And now, he had blown her off for the fifth time this week. _What happened to us?_ Usagi pondered on her way home. She and Mamoru seemed like the paragon of a perfect relationship; always together, always smiling, always so affectionate.

Or rather, Usagi was affectionate for the both of them.

The Earth Prince was always so withdrawn and hardly showed any affection towards her.

When they first started dating, Usagi hadn't noticed how emotionally reserved her boyfriend was, mainly because she was just so enchanted by their pasts as Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. They had been lovers in their previous lives and were reborn to fall in love with each other again. She found the whole thing completely romantic, and being the sentimental dreamer she was, overlooked Mamoru's introverted personality. But shortly after they started dating, Usagi began to realize how different they were: she was an emotional, relaxed girl who was open with her feelings and loved to have fun, while Mamoru was a quiet and serious man who kept his feelings to himself. The Moon Senshi then had doubts about her relationship and started to believe that they weren't meant for each other after all, but when a certain pink-haired girl came crashing into their lives (literally), things changed.

The revelation that Usagi and Mamoru would rule the Earth as Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion and have Chibiusa was enough to make the Moon Princess forget her uncertain thoughts. She concluded that if she and Mamoru were going to be together for over a thousand years and would be the parents of a happy, mischievous girl, then they must have gotten closer and more intimate as a couple. After the battle with the Black Moon Clan, Usagi had hoped that the experience would've made Mamoru more open and want to spend more time with his princess.

Sadly, this was not the case.

The Earth Prince was still so closed off and over time became even more distant. The blonde heroine could hardly remember when they last had a date where they talked to each other. Not just speaking a couple of sentences, but actually _communicating_ like two people in a relationship. Instead, they just asked each other basic questions, like "How's school?" and "How's work?" and "What do you think of the weather?".

Usagi wished she could talk to the girls about this, but she didn't feel comfortable discussing her relationship issues with them anymore. Whenever she complained about how Mamoru would cancel a date, the girls would tease her, saying it didn't matter if she misses a date since they would be together for thousands of years and that she was lucky to have already found her "eternal soul mate", and that they were having problems finding boyfriends for themselves. Even though they put on smiles, Usagi could tell that they were irritated. She knew there was no real envy or bitterness in their comments, but the blonde heroine took those lighthearted jokes to heart, making her feel insensitive and inconsiderate for whining or bragging about the things Mamoru did or didn't do.

On the way back to her house, she spotted a local café across the street. Many cafés in Juuban were known for their charm and atmosphere, but since she normally frequented the Fruit Parlor Crown, she never bothered to scope them out. But the enticing ornaments of the café weren't what grabbed her attention, nor was it the tantalizing aroma of the freshly baked croissants they were serving, it was Mamoru sitting at a table and talking with his college friends, Kobayashi and Saori. _Huh? But I thought he was working..._ She watched as Mamoru happily conversed with his friends. Pulling out her cell phone, she decided to send a message.

 _"Once you've finished your work, do you think you could help me with my homework later?"_ She didn't want to send a bitter message, especially not when his friends were nearby.

She watched as the Earth Prince stopped chatting with his friends to check his phone.

Kobayashi and Saori observed as Mamoru typed his response, and chuckled.

The odango-haired blonde wondered what was so funny, until she got the text.

 _"Sorry, I can't. I'll be busy with my work all day. I'm struggling through it right now. Besides, you should learn to do things by yourself."_

Usagi stared at the message with disbelief, sadness, and anger. He wasn't at _all_ busy with work! He had a free day, but he just didn't want to spend time with her! Her hands balled into fists as she watched Mamoru put his phone back into his pocket and went back to happily conversing with his friends. _I can't believe him!_ She wanted to march over there and call the Earth Prince out on his lie, but that would cause a scene and embarrass her even more than he already did. Her eyes stung with furious tears, but she jerked her head away from the scene and marched home.

* * *

The next day, Usagi went to the Fruit Parlor Crown Café to lift her spirits. She was sitting at the counter, talking to the waiter and son of the café's owners, Motoki Furuhata.

"Motoki-onii-san, one chocolate milkshake, please," Usagi requested.

"Coming right up." The sandy blond waiter nodded and left to prepare the odango-haired blonde's creamy beverage.

While the blonde heroine waited for her drink, she looked around, observing the café. She remembered when the Game Center Crown was her favorite hangout; she would spend hours (and her entire allowance) playing the arcade games while her then-crush Motoki cheered her on. It was the place where she took all her friends when she first met them. It was the place where she often clashed with the annoying jerk, Mamoru Chiba. It was the place that reminded her she was a normal girl. When she lost interest in the arcade games, instead preferring the atmosphere of the café, she took it as a sign of her maturing heart.

But the café was just as enjoyable; their menu had fantastic smoothies, milkshakes, and even hot chocolate for those cold, winter times. And of course, the food featured most of Usagi's favorite meals. Without the arcade games children loved so much, the café frequently attracted young adults, some of which were sitting together in a booth seat, studying, or gossiping. She and her friends often did both (mostly the latter).

Finally, Motoki came back with a chocolate milkshake adorned with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and the classic cherry on top. "Here you go, Usagi-chan." He set the delicious beverage in front of the blonde, watching as she nodded in gratitude before drinking. Something wasn't right, he noticed. Normally, Usagi would jump with glee, but now she was kind of quiet like she got a bad grade (but even then, she would be wailing a bit). "Is everything alright?"

Usagi took a sip from her milkshake before responding, "Motoki-onii-san, how's your relationship with Reika-san?"

The auburn-haired waiter was taken aback by the question about his long-distance girlfriend, but answered nonetheless. "It's going pretty well. She's taking time away from her studies in England to visit me in a few weeks."

"That's good."

"Why do you ask?"

The blonde stirred the frosty beverage around with her straw until it formed a mountain-like shape in the cup. "Do... Do you... Well, I mean..." She found herself fumbling over her words. Motoki was giving her an odd look, so she took a deep breath and blurted out, "Do you ever doubt her loyalty?!"

Motoki visibly jumped back. "W-What? No! Of course not! Why? Is someone saying something?"

"No! No! That's not it!" Usagi bowed her head and clapped her hands together in an apologetic gesture. "I'm sorry! It's just that long-distance relationships can be difficult, and the heart tends to wander, so I was wondering if you had any concerns!"

Motoki's eyebrows shot up in surprise, startled that the romance-loving Usagi would want to talk about that. "It's alright. I'll admit, I was worried at first, but I trust Reika, just as she does with me. We know where our hearts lie."

Usagi lowered her hands, but kept her head bowed. "How can you be so sure?" she asked softly.

Motoki scratched the back of his head as his cheeks turned a rosy pink color. "I guess you could say we're bound by the Red String of Fate."

That much made Usagi raise her head. She recalled the myth about an invisible red string that bound the pinkies of those meant to be together. It might get tangled, shrunken, or stretched, but it would never break. They said, while you couldn't see the string, you could feel it on your pinkie whenever you were around your lover, or even when you thought about them.

"Why so curious about my relationship all of a sudden?"

Usagi nearly choked on her frosty drink. "I-I just like to make sure my friends are happy with their love lives!"

"How considerate of you, Usagi-chan!" A cheery voice sounded from the back room. Gliding over to Motoki and Usagi, was a girl with bright green eyes and vibrant, ginger orange hair styled in a high ponytail secured by a thin, yellow hair tie. "Are you willing to help a little ol' waitress find love?"

Motoki clearly wasn't pleased by his younger sister's intrusion, looking at her with a stern expression. "I swear, whenever you have to work, you act like you're half dead. But whenever you hear about _romance_ , it's like you're on two cases of Mauve Bovine."

Unazuki brushed off her older brother's comment. "I served a lot of people today, so I'm going on my break." She strode around the counter and hopped onto the seat on Usagi's right. "So Usagi-chan, how is your relationship with Mamoru-kun now that you're in high school and will be turning 16 soon?"

A pink blush crept onto the odango-haired blonde's cheeks. "...W-What are you asking me?"

It seemed that Unazuki suddenly realized the impropriety of her question and flushed bright pink. "I mean, when you two first started dating, you were a _middle-schooler_ and he was in _college!_ " Unazuki stated in a hushed tone and nervously looked around her as if the patrons of the café would look at her with disgust if they heard her. "But since you're a high-schooler now, it would be appropriate for you two to take things further!"

The blush on Usagi's face deepened. The conversation reminded her of the one she and Unazuki had a year and a half ago about kissing boys, where the orange-haired waitress assumed she and Mamoru hadn't kissed at that point.

"H-Hey!" Motoki exclaimed, flustered at the direction the conversation between the two girls was heading. "Instead of chatting, why don't you ask this girl if she wants anything?" He pointed to a girl sitting in a stool on Usagi's left.

Usagi flinched, having been previously unaware of the girl's presence. _Was she there the whole time?_

The girl in question didn't even seem to be aware that there were others around her; her attention was firmly grasped by the book she was reading over the counter.

Unazuki glared at her brother as he left to tend to other customers before turning her attention to her customer. "Sorry, can I get you something miss?"

She was a slender girl—appearing no older than 15—looking about the same height as Usagi. Her long, black, blue-tinted hair was styled in a high ponytail that reached the middle of her back, secured by a dark, maroon bow. "Sure." After placing a bookmark to mark her page, she slowly turned to face the ginger-haired waitress, brushing aside her wavy center-parted bangs that pointed inwards towards her nose, giving view to her indifferent lapis lazuli blue eyes. "I'll take a s'mores parfait."

"Coming right up!" The young waitress scuttled to see to the girl's order, heading to the back room.

While she waited for her parfait, she had gone back to reading her book. It was an embellished hardcover book titled, _"Simulacra of Euphoria"_. She glanced over at Usagi and pouted. " _What?_ "

Usagi then realized that she had been staring at the bow-wearing girl. "Oh! I, um..." Her fair cheeks reddened. "You just look really familiar!" she managed to say. "Have I seen you somewhere before?"

"I would imagine so. We go to the same school."

"O-Oh!" Usagi put a hand to her flushed cheek, feeling embarrassed for not recognizing one of her classmates. "Are we in the same class?" Maybe she was one of the students who sat in the back of the classroom.

"No," she stated bluntly.

"Oh..." Usagi's sapphire blue eyes awkwardly darted around the café until they once again found the dark-haired girl, this time landing on her hand where purple paint decorated her knuckles. "Do you like to paint?"

She followed the odango-haired blonde's gaze and hid her hand under the counter. "I was working on an... _art_ project a few days ago."

Unazuki finally returned with a tulip-shaped glass cup filled with a delicious-looking treat consisting of layers of chocolate, graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate syrup. "Here you are!" She set the cup down before the red bow-wearing girl, along with a spoon.

"HEY! CAN WE GET SOME SERVICE OVER HERE?!"

"HURRY UP!"

"WE'RE HUNGRY!"

"WE'RE _STARVING!_ "

"HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE LETTING US SUFFER THROUGH THIS FAMINE?!"

A middle-aged man sitting at a table yelled from across the café, with his wife and three kids looking equally agitated.

Unazuki cringed at the loud man's angry voice. "C-Coming, sir!" She dashed off with a notepad and pencil in hand to take the family's order. The two girls watched as the ginger-haired waitress was being chewed out by the man, with his wife threatening to sue for terrible hospitality.

After slurping up the last of her milkshake, Usagi turned to the girl next to her. Because she always jumped at the chance to make a new friend, she asked, "So, what are you reading?"

"A book," was her straightforward answer.

"...Is it good?"

"Yes."

"What's it about?"

"A story involving characters, a plot, plot twists, conflict, and a resolution at the end."

Usagi pouted. The conversation was very one-sided, but she was determined to get through. "Maybe I could read it sometime?"

This time, the bow-wearing girl spared a glance in the odango-haired blonde's direction before averting her gaze back to her book. "Maybe."

Usagi's fingers rhythmically tapped the cup her milkshake used to be in. At least the girl made eye contact with her. "I haven't even introduced myself yet!" She set down her cup and hopped off her stool seat. "I'm—" Given her history of incoordination, it was no surprise that her foot would get caught around the metal pole supporting the stool seat, causing her to lose her balance and stagger forward. She flailed her arms wildly, desperately trying to find something sturdy to grab onto, but only succeeding in knocking the girl down, who knocked over her parfait, taking it with her to her descent to the hard floor. "...really clumsy..." the blonde mumbled, her voice coming out muffled.

"I'll say," she grumbled, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her back.

The other patrons halted in their activities to peer at the disruption, most of them looking with great interest. And who could blame them?

Usagi had fallen on top of the girl, her face buried in her neck. Had that been the only attention-garnering thing about the position they were in, the other customers would have looked away shortly after, but that was not the case. Their legs were intertwined in a way that was not appropriate for public display and Usagi's hands rested on the dark-haired girl's shoulders, while the girl's were wrapped around the blonde's waist. To top it off, the book had landed on Usagi's back while the parfait had spilled on the bow-wearing girl's head; bits of graham crackers and chocolate syrup painted her furious face while little chunks of marshmallows had gotten stuck in her hair.

"I'm sorry..." Usagi lifted her head, coming face to face with the dark-haired girl's vexed eyes. "Are you—"

Not interested in an apology or any words of concern, the girl brought her knee up, then kicked Usagi square in the chest, knocking the blonde against one of the stool seats. Afterwards, she pulled her legs up to her chest, placed her hands flat on the ground next to her ears, rolled onto her back, kicked her legs in the air, and kicked up off the ground, landing in a squat. As soon as she stood to her feet, she reached into her pocket and took out some yen, placing it on the counter and then left the café without a word, still dripping with anger and chocolate.

Having freed herself from her ravenous customers, Unazuki appeared by Usagi's side and helped her up. "You alright, Usagi-chan?" The currency on the counter soon caught her eye. "Oh, did that girl leave?"

"Yeah." Usagi put a hand to her chest. She was certain she would see a shoe print later. "Do you know who she is?"

Unazuki shrugged. "No idea. She comes here sometimes, but she doesn't say much."

"She must talk with her feet," she mumbled. "I'll have another milkshake, please."

* * *

Their home lay before them, restless with the sense of trepidation as indicated by the intense gales that swept through the meadow, forcing the land to be honest about its feelings of turmoil by making the trees shake violently. The winds were strong enough to blow the flowers off their stems and send them drifting through the cool air.

"Just _look_ at this, Feronia," a young woman observed, taking in the sight of their home with weary eyes.

The other young woman—Feronia—folded her arms and clicked her tongue in aggravation. "How cruel of fate to give us peace, then callously snatch it away." Pain briefly flashed through her bright eyes when she witnessed yet _another_ blossom be pulled from its stem. And it was a flower _she_ had planted.

"Something must be done," the first woman stated.

Feronia looked at her companion curiously. "And what are we supposed to do? Master is away and what power do _we_ have to change this fate?"

"Not us," she clarified, brushing her bangs aside, " _them_."

Feronia wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Antheia, you can't be serious! Why them?!"

The first woman—Antheia—sighed, brushing aside her wavy bangs. "Feronia—"

"I can't forgive them for what they did!" Feronia exclaimed. The fierce winds caused her long hair to whip around furiously, highlighting her anger. "Had they agreed to reverse what was afflicted on their psyches, master wouldn't have... wouldn't have..." She trailed off, letting the sentence die with a quavering tone. She began to tremble and started hugging herself, mumbling something about the wind, but Antheia knew better than to think she was cold.

Understanding, Antheia pulled Feronia into a tight embrace. "It was their duty to do such a thing in order for them to have a true renaissance. And though master had performed a reckless action, it was an action born from love." She rubbed her counterpart's arms to calm her nerves. Once Feronia stopped shivering, Antheia pulled away from her, staring directly into her soft lilac eyes with her own blush pink orbs. "Peace has not yet been seized from our grasp."

They later made their way out of the meadow and hiked to the place where they performed their duties and spent most of the lives. No matter how much time had passed, no matter how many times they revisited that place, no matter how many times they tried to convince themselves that it _wasn't_ their fault, the feeling of dread that enveloped them whenever they went back never faded.

They stopped in the center where a large fountain rested. It was made out of white marble with ornate symbols carved all over it, though most of them were hidden by the blue roses that had grown around it. Standing in the heart of the fountain was a stone statue of a man with his right hand on his hip and his left hand raised, holding a bouquet of real red roses.

As they approached the edge, they leaned forward and gazed at their reflections. Antheia could clearly see Feronia's uncertain expression staring back at her, so she took the initiative and dipped a slender finger onto the surface of the water. From the single spot she touched, multiple ripples erupted with a reverberating chime. The wind finally died down as the water shone silvery-white, resembling a mirror, before reverting back to its original state. Only this time, Antheia and Feronia's reflections were gone and another young woman stared back at them.

 _"Who are you, to delve into the sea of_ _consciousness to contact me?"_ The slightly accusatory question was at odds with her soft, warm tone.

"We require your assistance, Guardian of Distress."

Feronia strengthened her nerve and leaned closer to peer into the fountain. "We need you to undo what was wrought on the Crystal Treasures."

The young woman in the fountain tilted her head to the side in confusion, before realization quickly spread across her pretty features. _"As I recall, I undid part of the Blessing of Delight on one of them. As for the other—"_

 _"Who are you talking to?"_ a slightly colder voice questioned.

The Guardian of Distress looked to side, though Antheia and Feronia couldn't see who or what she was looking at until another young woman appeared next to her in the image reflected in the fountain. _"Since when you do make social calls?"_ the other woman teased.

Feronia narrowed her lilac eyes at the newcomer. "You..."

The other woman scoffed and rolled her eyes. _"You two again? What are you pestering my sister for this time?"_

"Our business is with your _sister,_ Guardian of Bliss." Feronia folded her arms.

The Guardian of Bliss draped an arm around her sister's shoulder. _"Sorry, but my sister and I work as a team."_

Before Feronia and the Guardian of Bliss could argue, Antheia spoke, "We were asking your sister to remove the 'blessing' you granted the Crystal Treasures."

 _"Again with this?"_ The Guardian of Bliss pinched the bridge of her nose. _"They weren't ready before."_

"Well, they are ready now!" Feronia huffed.

 _"After the Blade was unsheathed, I reversed part of my sister's blessing. But the other_ _—"_

 _"Because of that **fool** of a master of yours_ _, the other treasure remained dormant!"_ The Guardian of Bliss interrupted.

Feronia's fair cheeks darkened with vermillion. "Don't speak ill of our master! What he did, he did out of love!" she exclaimed, repeating what Antheia had said to her earlier. Though she understood why her master had done what he did, she did not completely forgive him as Antheia did.

 _"And look where that **love** has gotten you! The Mirror has been clouded all this time, and thanks to your **master** , it's close to shattering!" _

"Will you _stop?!_ " Antheia and the Guardian of Distress said in unison, even clutching their temples in aggravation.

After being scolded, both Feronia and the Guardian of Bliss turned and huffed, tossing their heads up like noblewomen.

Antheia couldn't help but giggle at the similarities between herself and Feronia, and the two Guardians. If not for their differing appearances, Antheia could swear they were speaking to their own reflections.

 _"Listen to me,"_ the Guardian of Distress started, her soft voice becoming firm, _"I cannot completely remove the Blessing of Delight on the Blade until I remove it from the Mirror. And for that to happen, it needs to be cleared."_

Feronia nervously played with her fingers. "How are we supposed to make that happen?" If only their master was here; he was much more powerful than they were, but he was away to deal with "personal business".

 _"That, I do not know. But if your situation is truly dire, then you must figure something out and fast."_ The Guardian of Distress' image, along with that of her sister's, distorted in the fountain and changed to a golden yellow butterfly flapping its wings. _"From within the sea of consciousness, I can feel the dark threads of doom approach to pull it towards an undesirable fate."_

Antheia and Feronia clung to each other for support. "The darkness is already advancing?" Antheia questioned.

Feronia rested her head on her companion's shoulder. "Do we have enough time?"

The image of butterfly faded as the water distorted to display the Guardians of Distress and Bliss. _"To save your home, you need to clear the Mirror_ _," the Guardian of Bliss stated._

 _"Once that has been accomplished, I will step in once the time is right,"_ the Guardian of Distress assured.

Just as it did before, the water in the fountain shone silvery-white, before reverting back to its crystal blue color. The images of the Guardians of Distress and Bliss were gone, and Antheia and Feronia's reflections had returned.

Not that they spent much time looking at them; their talk with the two Guardians made them realize how urgent things were.

"We must act quickly, Feronia," Antheia said as she gazed around her home. Her blush pink eyes scanned the area until they fell upon the statue in the fountain. "In order to keep our home from being consumed by darkness, we must pool our strength together."

Feronia nodded slowly. "But what must we do?"

"Master had already planted his seed and it has taken root, now we must help it blossom."

The lilac-eyed woman let out a heavy sigh; she was starting to feel as old as she was, but she couldn't lose heart. She fixed her gaze to the statue, as Antheia did, and found comfort in it.

That comfort did not last long.

"Antheia... look..." Feronia put a hand to her mouth and pointed a trembling finger at the statue.

Antheia followed the direction her counterpart's finger was pointing, leading her to the bouquet of roses in the statue's hand. On each and every rose, a black substance had bled through the petals, spreading until it tainted every crimson edge. The petals shriveled and receded inwards, before finally crumbling into ashes that drifted away in the air.

The countdown had started.

* * *

A/N: I definitely feel more satisfied with this.


	3. Chapter 2: Missing Piece

A/N: You have to build up to the rise before you get to the great fall.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Missing Piece**

She wandered until finally reaching a special section that was reserved solely for her. It was incredibly dark, with only rainbow-colored geode crystals providing faint light sources, illuminating the area enough to make it clear it was a cave and made the deep holes in the ground noticeable. They were each filled with pools of murky, black, non-reflective, sludge that bubbled and let off steam like a boiling cauldron.

She stopped in front of a pool, narrowing her eyes. She reached into her pocket and took out a small pearl. Lazily rolling it between her fingers, she sighed. "I want results." The pearl glowed in response, a sign it was ready. She dropped it in the pool and took a step back, observing as it sank into the sludge until it was no longer visible.

 _ **Ba-bum**_

A resounding heartbeat echoed throughout the cave as the bubbling in the pool became more and more rapid. The black sludge started inching its way out of the pool, crawling up the side of the hole until it reached the edge, splattering on the floor of the cave. It rose and fell unnaturally, like the muddied leaf of a plant attempting to remove the ooze with the wind's assistance. With a final plop onto the cave floor, the black sludge bubbled once more and distorted in shape, forming what could be recognized as a hand. Rising out of the hole, was more sludge that shaped itself to resemble a head, where some of the murky liquid parted in the lower region to form a mouth that labored to release its first, raspy breath. The head was soon joined to a neck and then a torso. Another hand had formed out of the black liquid which the creature used to drag itself out of the hole. The remaining sludge in the pool rose up to connect with the creature's torso, creating the lower half of its body, including a pair of legs which kicked vigorously upon their formation. With its body fully-formed and reshaped, the creature trudged towards the woman it recognized as its master.

"Welcome back," she greeted with a restrained smile, impressed by her creation's grotesque beauty. "Now go make me proud."

* * *

"WHO. DID. THIS?!"

As soon as 8:00 a.m. hit, the students of Juuban High normally started preparing for their 8:30 classes. But right now, they were all gathered at the locker area where they normally changed from their outdoor shoes to their indoor ones, craning their heads to get a look at the scene.

A girl with short, dark brown hair styled in a bob haircut with little tufts at the sides pointed a trembling finger at her locker. Her bright green eyes were wide with fury as she scanned the crowd of her fellow students for any sign of a guilty face. "Who _DID THIS?!_ " she repeated, drawing back her arm and extending it once more with vigor towards her shoe locker.

"What happened?" Usagi craned her head and hopped up and down in an attempt to see past the crowd. Though she normally wasn't interested in school drama, she wanted to take advantage of the lull in enemy activity to reconnect with her fellow students and stay in the loop with what was going on in their lives.

Standing beside her was a girl with shoulder-length, wavy, reddish-brown hair held up by a teal bow and teal eyes—Naru Osaka. "Someone put raw pork in Fusoku Watanabe's locker!"

After a few people stepped aside, Usagi was finally able to witness the incident in question. In truth, there really was raw pork in the brunette's locker. The raw meat rested on her shoes, its blood spilling into the footwear and onto the steel surface of the locker. The scent permeated through the locker area, forcing many students to pinch their noses in disgust.

Amidst the crowd of chattering students, the sound of footsteps could be heard. Everyone looked to the entrance of the school building where a girl with a dark ponytail secured by a maroon bow entered, reading a book. She appeared to be acutely aware of her surroundings as she walked with her schoolbag in one hand and her book being held by the other. Impressively, she was able to read and make her way over to her shoe locker without bumping into anything or anyone.

Usagi's eyes widened in recognition. _That's the girl from the café!_

The tufts at the side of Fusoku's head seemed to curl upwards like devil horns as she stalked over to the bow-wearing girl. "Explain yourself!"

The bow-wearing girl paid no attention to the fuming girl beside her, instead calmly changing her shoes with her book still in hand.

"Hey! I said, _'explain yourself'!_ " Fusoku yelled, placing her hands on her hips.

The girl closed her locker with a sigh, apathetically leaning against it and facing Fusoku with a bored look in her lazuli eyes. She folded her arms, letting her schoolbag dangle from her fingertips by the handle, and holding her book up with her other hand while using her fingers to secure her page. "There's no need to repeat yourself. I ignored you just fine the first time."

Fusoku sneered at the other girl's cool indifference and angrily folded her arms. "Where were _you_ just now?"

The dark-haired girl shrugged. "On the streets."

"Doing _what?_ "

"Walking here."

The green-eyed girl scoffed and stared the other girl dead in her uncaring eyes. "Or maybe you left to clean yourself up after you _dumped meat_ in my locker then came back here as if you did nothing wrong!"

" _Or,_ " the bow-wearing girl raised an ebony brow at the irate brunette, "I woke up, got myself ready for school, and walked here."

Fusoku gritted her teeth as her face turned scarlet. She none-to-gently grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her close. "Don't lie to me! The scent of pork must still be on your hands!" She brought her hand up to her nose and took a big whiff, but to her surprise, she couldn't smell even a hint of meat, only the faint scent of roses.

Rolling her blue eyes, the bow-wearing girl flicked the bridge of Fusoku's nose and drew her hand back. "It would be prudent for you to keep your locker _locked_ in the future."

The green-eyed girl's cheeks flared even brighter with embarrassment. Rationally, she knew the bow-wearing girl couldn't have been the one who pranked her, since she had only _just_ arrived, but the feelings of humiliation and anger clouded her judgement and made her blame the first person who didn't appear to fear her, labeling them as a suspect. Plus she had to appear strong and dominant in front of the masses; she needed them to know she was still in charge and in order to accomplish that, she couldn't allow her anger to be sated.

At that moment, the 8:15 bell warning everyone to get to class rang, prompting the students to quit their idling and hurry to class, though Fusoku stayed behind to clean out her locker. Unfortunately, she had no one to assist her.

"Can't believe someone did that to Watanabe-san!" one student whispered.

"She had it coming anyway!" another student snidely remarked.

Usagi and Naru hung back a little longer, but did nothing to help Fusoku. Had the girl been one of their friends or at least someone with a decent personality, they would've done something. They had spent their final year of middle school with the brunette who did nothing but bully them and other students. They had hoped she would adopt a more cordial behavior when high school started, but to their dismay, Fusoku hadn't changed a bit. But as they watched her dump the raw meat into a nearby trash can, a small amount of pity was offered to her.

"I can't believe someone actually put pork in Watanabe-san's locker!" Usagi whispered as they walked down the hallway.

"I know!" Naru looked back over her shoulder. "It's about time!"

The blonde giggled. Naru had always been the more spiteful of the two. "I never thought I'd see something like that happen! It reminded me of the Western cartoons we watched when we were kids!"

The teal bow-wearing girl snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah! Like the one where those two girls dumped a bucket of honey on a group of mean-spirited popular girls!" She began to laugh at the recollection. "A-And then a pack of w-wild dogs started to chase them!" Naru couldn't hold in her laughter at that point and was now buckling over, guffawing as she walked.

As she watched Naru lose herself in remembrance of the joviality of their childhood, a wave of nostalgia and remorse washed over Usagi. Naru was her oldest friend and the first person to accept her in spite of her ditzy, crybaby ways. Then came Yumiko and Kuri, and a tight group of friends was formed, though Usagi and Naru had a special type of bond they only shared with each other. However, that bond began to weaken when she became a Pretty Guardian of Love and Justice. After she first became Sailor Moon, Usagi immediately knew she couldn't tell Naru. Not because she wouldn't be able to keep the secret, but because she didn't want her to get hurt just by being associated with her. Despite this, she tried to maintain her friendship with Naru, but after all of her guardians had awakened and the threat of the Dark Kingdom drew nearer, she had less and less time for her oldest friend.

After putting an end to Beryl and Metallia and receiving another chance at a normal life, she was able to rekindle her friendship with Naru, but of course, the forces of evil never stayed quiet for long and the power of the Sailor Senshi was needed yet again. While she had long embraced her duty as the Soldier of Justice and Mystery, she desperately missed spending time with Naru—her only tether to her life as a regular girl. But as time went on, the two seemed to be drifting further and further apart. Artemis had once said it was a necessary sacrifice in order for her to fulfill her duties as a Sailor Soldier, but Artemis didn't understand the feelings of regret and isolation it brought.

Naru's giggling finally came to an end when she noticed the obvious absence of her blonde friend's bubbly laughter. "Usagi-chan?"

The odango-haired blonde smiled and shook her head. "I was just wondering who that girl was. The one who Watanabe-san was bothering."

Naru knit her eyebrows together in concentration and cupped her chin. "That was Kiyoko Chiba. We're in the same class, but we don't talk since I sit up in the front of the class and she's normally in the back."

Now Usagi had a name to associate with the bruise she had received on her chest two days ago. Though as a Sailor Senshi and a member of the Royal Moon Family line, she had an accelerated healing process and the bruise was only a bother for a few hours, but that didn't mean she wasn't miffed about being kicked in the chest. "Hey Naru-chan, why don't we do something together?" she proposed, wanting to take her mind off the incident.

"Eh?" Naru tilted her head in confusion at her friend's change in subject.

"We hardly do anything together anymore," Usagi fought to keep the guilt out of her voice, "so why don't we make plans to—"

"Naru-chan!"

Naru stopped in her tracks and spun around to see who was calling her. "Runa-chan?"

Jogging up to them, was a girl with bust-length, dark eggplant purple hair tied in a ponytail to the side over her right shoulder, secured by a navy blue bow. "Naru-chan, let's go or we'll be late for class!" When she noticed Usagi, her cheery expression soured as she folded her arms, her navy blue eyes darkening with contempt as a scowl formed on her lips. Sizing up the blonde with her cold eyes, she said, "Oh, you're actually going to this school? I'm surprised you weren't held back with the other mentally challenged children." Her tone was calm, but it carried scorn and mockery.

"Runa-chan!" Naru chided, sparing an apologetic glance in Usagi's direction.

Runa's stony gaze never softened as she took in the blonde. "Come on, Naru-chan." She locked arms with the teal bow-wearing girl and led her down the hall to their classroom.

Usagi blinked her eyes in bewilderment at what had just occurred. Who was that girl and what was her problem?

"Usagi-chan!"

Down the hall, Minako was sticking her head out of her classroom and frantically waving Usagi over. "Class is starting! Hurry up!"

* * *

It was a regular Monday and the Tokyu Plaza in the Ginza district was buzzing with the chatter of bustling patrons, most of whom were adults on business. With its upscale stores, restaurants, and boutiques, it was the perfect place for teens, preteens, and young adults, though most of them were in school at this time. However, some rebellious youths could be spotted loitering at the entrances of some stores and near several of the dazzling fountains. There were a few families shopping, consisting of several rambunctious children begging their parents to buy them new toys, clothes, or some treat and parents who were steeling themselves against the cries of their offsprings' desires. Those were most likely children who didn't live in the Ginza district and weren't used to the glamour of all the boutiques, wanting to make the most of their time in the renowned shopping area last.

Although one child wasn't able to enjoy himself in the glamorous shopping center.

A little boy—no older than 9—was shoving past numerous adults, frantically trying to make his way through the crowd. He found himself in the center of the area, right next to a fountain. In spite of the warnings his parents had given him about respecting public property, he climbed onto the edge of the fountain to give himself a better view of his surroundings. Unfortunately, his short stature didn't help provide him with much perspective. He did, however, spot something shining on the tile floor a few feet ahead of him.

He hopped off the fountain and ran over to the shining object, disregarding the annoyed grunts of the people he pushed out of his way. He knelt down to the object, discovering it was his mother's necklace. Holding the cheap jewel to his chest, he noticed a trail of belongings up ahead of him: a wallet, a wedding ring, a small string of pearls, and a couple of 1000 Yen bills. Rather than collect the individual items, he followed where they were leading to, finding a faux gold watch he recognized as his father's as he walked.

"Mama? Papa?"

Clutching his mother's necklace and his father's watch in his small hands, he wandered down a long deserted corridor of the mall that was undergoing renovations. It was dark, with only a few of the overhead fluorescent lights that lined the ceiling flickering. All the windows that would've provided a view to the world outside were boarded up and multiple handbags lay scattered on the floor for some reason. In the center of the hall, a fluorescent light flickered with white light before shining a steady beam.

Noticing something was being illuminated by the overhead light, he carelessly ran ahead. His round eyes grew wide when he saw it was his mother's purse. "Mama?" The fluorescent light above him flickered once more, making him notice the odd shadows below him for the first time. When he looked up, his grip on his mother's necklace and his father's watch slackened, letting them fall to the floor with soft tinkling sounds. On the ceiling, were metal hooks with long alabaster white bandages.

Dangling from the other ends of them by their throats, were his mother and father.

* * *

After school, Usagi decided to head straight home, but before she left, she made a visit to the room where the manga club was being held and talked to the club president about joining. Despite the considerable number of members, she seemed surprised that another person wanted to join, but nonetheless permitted her.

She could almost hear what her friends would say. "Since when are you interested in extracurricular activities?" and "You do realize you'd have to do actual work, right?" True, she'd never really been motivated to do extra work, always finding an excuse to get out of doing homework and dozing off in class, but drawing was something that brought her comfort and she wanted to cultivate the talent. More importantly, she wanted to be known for something other than her role as a Soldier of Love and Justice and the future Queen of the Earth and Moon.

Ami was a national genius, Rei was a shrine maiden and a priestess-in-training, Makoto was a fantastic cook, Minako was a great volleyball player and an ambitious idol-to-be. If one took away the Senshi aspects of their lives, they would still be known for their talents for they had established their uniqueness prior to awakening as Soldiers. Usagi couldn't say the same about herself, however. Before becoming Sailor Moon, she was just the ditzy crybaby with a big heart and her only known "talent" was shattering people's eardrums with her wailing. Without her Senshi persona, without her powers, she was nobody.

There was still time; she was still young, so she had to develop herself as Usagi Tsukino before she and Mamoru married as she had always dreamed, before she had Chibiusa as was expected, before she became queen.

Before she stopped being herself.

She continued to walk down the street until, without warning, there was a hitch in her breath before it became worryingly uneven. A few whimpers escaped her lips, followed by a wheeze shortly after. She stopped in her tracks, pausing to catch her breath which seemed desperate to flee from her. A tight feeling coiled in her chest, forcing her hands to fly over it in a vain attempt to stop the pain.

She wasn't aware of it, but the world around her began to distort; the cerulean blue of the afternoon sky began to shift to a navy blue shade. Beneath her feet, little blades of grass peaked through the sidewalk and even the road beside her before swiftly sprouting upwards, completely taking over the earth beneath her. The buildings around her were next to change, dissolving like clay, their colors fading until the environment was barren and drained of anything that indicated there was once life.

The torment in her chest intensified as if someone was tearing her heart apart. She collapsed to her knees, her schoolbag lost somewhere behind her while she tried her best to quell her rioting heart. Her head was the next to rebel against her, throbbing so _violently,_ she thought her skull was going to crack open. When the ache spread between her eyes, she painfully squeezed them shut, tears streaming down her face. The excruciating pain, pounding away at her head like drums, created a punishing rhythm within her skull: agonizing, dull, excruciating, dull, then agonizing again. Her lips trembled, a hint of plea on them. In a moment of pure agony and fear, she cried, "Help!"

Then, all at once, the pain stopped.

* * *

Usagi kneeled there for a few moments, trembling like a wounded animal. Once the remnants of the phantom pains had died away, she slowly rose to her feet, hugging herself for comfort. Wiping away her tears, she slowly opened her eyes and finally noticed the change in the environment.

What used to be a quiet street of Azabu-Juuban in the afternoon, was now a deathly silent moonlit green meadow at night filled with white roses. There were no people, only little fireflies that graced the night sky with their golden lights. Clouds loomed overhead with only a fraction of the white moon's light peeking through. The roses allowed their sweet fragrance to be carried by the wind, but the breeze seemed to force the roses to sway rhythmically in an oppressive dance of push and pull.

It was a beautiful place, yet the mere sight of it made Usagi shudder with discomfort for some reason. The fireflies around her must've felt the same way as they spread out through the field, each and every one of them fluttering above a rose before gently descending. The roses reacted to the presence of their invaders and began to shift, closing their petals and trapping the fireflies in ivory prisons.

 _"Atone."_

Usagi whipped around, frantically looking for the voice. Were they talking to her? What would she have to atone for?' Slowly, she turned back around to take in the world before her, the uneasy feeling weighing even heavier on her than before. How did she get here? _Why_ was she here?

As if trying to answer her unspoken questions, the wind picked up with a screeching sound for a voice, causing the roses to sway towards the center of the field. She didn't know if it was the howling wind or not, but she could swear she heard someone cry out for help. Unwilling to venture forth to investigate, Usagi stayed rooted to her spot where she could make out the figure of someone kneeling on the roses.

The wind picked up once again, colder than before, whistling a message. _"Take it back."_

* * *

She frantically ran down the street, her long, black, violet-tinted hair flowing behind her like a dark cape. As she ran, she received multiple hoots and hollers from numerous boys. _It must be my short skirt,_ she assumed, tugging on the mid-thigh length skirt of her classy school uniform in vain, secretly wishing it was knee-length like her friends'. But no matter; any boy who would holler at her like that instead of talking to her directly wasn't good enough for her.

Out of the corner of her violet eye, she spotted a familiar set of blonde buns across the street. Skidding to a stop, she leaned over, resting her hands on her knees as she caught her breath only to jog over to the blonde on the other side of the road soon after. "Usagi!" Her hands fastened onto her shoulders, spinning her around to face her, only to release her as quickly as she had grabbed her.

Usagi stood before Rei with her shoulders drooped and her arms slightly swinging like the limbs of a marionette. Her head was lowered, staring at the pavement below with dull, sapphire eyes—eyes that had lost their true shine and were nothing more than glossy mirrors.

Rei found herself shuddering at the sight. Usagi's eyes should _never_ be so... _lifeless._ Unconsciously, she slipped a hand into her pocket, her fingertips brushing against an ofuda. "...U-Usagi?"

The Martian Senshi's worried voice seemed to trigger something in Usagi: her lips trembled, parting as if she wanted say a few words of comfort to her dear friend, but nothing came out. Her fingers twitched once, then twice, before tightening into fists. Her head slowly bobbed upwards, her blonde pigtails that had been spilling over her shoulders returning to their place by her shoulder blades. Finally—thankfully, to Rei—the light returned to the Moon Princess' eyes, bringing the life back to the briefly empty sapphiric orbs. "Rei...chan?"

The shrine maiden let out a relieved sigh. She had no idea _what_ had just happened or why Usagi was now looking around with a confused, somewhat frightened expression as if there was something wrong with her surroundings, but she didn't have time to ask about that right now. "Usagi?"

Usagi's eyes stopped roaming and locked onto the raven-haired miko, performing a quick assessment.

Despite the growing concern for her friend, Rei had to push that aside for the reason she was looking for the blonde in the first place. "Come on, we need to go to Ami-chan's."

* * *

Before befriending Usagi, Rei, Makoto, and Minako, Ami Mizuno was once regarded as the anti-social genius who lived comfortably in a life of affluence provided by her mother's occupation as a successful doctor, but after meeting her fellow soldiers, her true personality came to light, making everyone realize she was just a shy girl with trouble making friends. Though people couldn't help but wonder how she was able to maintain such a humble demeanor considering her opulent residence.

Ami lived in the high-rise apartment of a luxurious condominium with her mother, though she was virtually independent. Her esteemed mother's job often required her to work long hours so she was hardly home. Even when she was, Ami was only able to talk to her for a second due to the schedule of her own turbulent life. Today, however, Ami opened up her home to her rather rambunctious friends, currently entertaining the two who had arrived earlier than the others.

"What shoddy work!" Minako exclaimed. "They got the color of my bow wrong!" The Soldier of Love was laying upside down in a one-seat chair with her legs crossed at the top and her long blonde hair spilling off the seat and onto the carpeted floor. To pass the time, she was reading a _Sailor V_ manga, but was displeased by the amount of design errors and chose to express her irritation by thwacking the page with her hand.

"Uh, Minako-chan... Maybe you should sit up straight," Makoto advised. The Soldier of Courage was sitting in another one-seat chair across from Minako with her interlocked fingers resting on top of a plastic container in her lap. Her emerald green eyes frequently drifted to the flat-screen TV situated between her seat and the blue-haired girl's, eyeing the commercials that were being broadcasted. "You don't want all the blood to rush to your head, do you?"

Minako swung her arms over her head, manga still in hand with her fingers keeping the page. "Maybe I could use a little blood flow to my brain!"

The thumping sound of a hardcover book closing caught both girls' attention, turning their gazes towards Ami. The Soldier of Wisdom sat next to Minako in a one-seat chair larger than the ones her friends were using with her legs hanging over the armrest. "That wouldn't be a good idea. You could rupture a blood vessel or trigger a brain hemorrhage."

The bow-wearing girl uncrossed her legs and shifted in her seat, rolling onto her stomach. Before she could protest the blue-haired girl's claims, several knocks on the door interrupted her.

"It's open!" Ami called out.

A creak of the door was heard—Ami would have to talk to her mother about getting it oiled—and Rei entered with Usagi close behind her.

Minako adjusted herself in her chair once again, this time sitting up properly. She leaned back and crossed her arms, letting her manga drop to the floor. "We've been waiting for you!" she sniped. "Rei-chan, I thought you would at least be here before Usagi!"

"I went to go get her," Rei stated, still holding Usagi by the hand as she lead her over to a small couch. The shrine maiden wanted to stay extra close to the blonde for this meeting, in fear of her odd behavior a short while ago resurfacing. She would confront her about it after they discussed what they needed to.

"It doesn't make sense why Usagi-chan got here late when Mako-chan, Ami-chan, and I go to the same school as her and got out at the same time," the Venusian Soldier griped, gently tapping the _Sailor V_ manga on the floor with her foot.

"We all know by now that Usagi-chan will always take longer than others," Makoto tried to soothe the unusually grumpy blonde, rhythmically tapping the top of her container. "I brought snacks for everyone!" She flipped off the lid and the enticing scent of chocolate spread through the living room, turning up everyone's noses. The Jovian Senshi tilted the container forward, allowing the others to see the dozens of chocolate chip cookies that were stacked together in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Knowing that Makoto was the baker, none of them turned down the opportunity to gorge on the brunette's treats. One by one, they each took a cookie. Minako took at least four of them—claiming two were for Artemis—while Ami took one, eating it in an I-only-wanted-one kind of way, although everyone knew she would claim more eventually. Strangely, Usagi was the only one who didn't grab a cookie for herself, but Rei obtained one for her while she ate her own.

After eating the last of her cookie, Ami cleared her throat to grab everyone's attention. "Everyone, there's something I feel we should discuss." The Mercurian Senshi swung her legs off the armrest of her seat, sitting up properly with her book in her lap. "Before I leave for school in the morning, I always record the Tokyo news channel so I can keep up with current events." As she spoke, she reached over to a small coffee table, picking up a TV remote. "I didn't go to cram school today, so I came straight home and this is what I saw."

She pushed a button on the remote, prompting two arrows, side by side to each other, to appear on the TV. The images rapidly rewound, with the people displayed on the screen speaking unintelligible dialogue in a squeaky tone and performing actions in reverse, a somewhat amusing spectacle. Ami paused it when the screen displayed a sharply dressed woman standing in front of a grand building guarded by multiple banners of police tape. Off to the side were several ambulances along with multiple police officers communicating.

"This is it." Ami pressed the "Play" button on the remote while casually walking over to Makoto and snaking her hand in the brunette's cookie container for another snack.

 _"I stand here live before Tokyu Plaza Ginza where a gruesome tragedy had occurred earlier in the morning."_ As she spoke, the newswoman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and fixed other imperfections, straightening out her blazer and putting a hand to her neck to adjust her elaborate choker. _"Hours earlier, multiple people were found dead, all of them hanging from the ceiling with make-shift nooses made of what appeared to be an odd type of gauze around their necks."_

Hearing this, Usagi became livelier, leaning forward and craning her neck towards the TV.

 _"Witnesses were alerted to the scene by the cries of a young child who had been the one to discover the bodies, identifying two of the victims as his mother and father."_

A lump formed in Usagi's throat as tears raced down her fair cheeks. Whether she cared or not, the cookie Rei had given her was now a pile of chestnut crumbs imprisoned in her clenched fist. A _child_ should not have had to witness something so terrible.

 _"A total of twenty corpses were found, half of which have already been identified."_ Her eyes drifted lower, most likely reading a prompter as she listed the names of the identified bodies, which also appeared as a blue prompt with yellow text for the viewers to read. _"As police are conducting an investigation of the area, Tokyu Plaza Ginza has been closed off to civilians until further notice."_

 _Click!_

Ami switched off the TV and set the remote down beside her. The blue-haired genius knitted her trembling fingers together, clearly unnerved by the horrific news.

"How _awful!_ All those people..." Makoto grimaced, hugging the cookie container close to her body.

Minako shuddered and rubbed her arms for comfort. "Who could do something so terrible?"

"That's why I called us here," Ami explained. "I initially assumed the cause of all those deaths was just a regular murderer but after more thought, I think something more nefarious happened, something within our jurisdiction."

Rei's violet eyes grew wide, catching on to the blue-haired girl's words. "You mean... a new threat?"

"But what if it isn't?" Minako quickly opposed, drawing all eyes. Suddenly feeling shy from all the attention, she clarified, "I mean, it could just be some human killer." The words tasted bitter in her mouth; she was ashamed at how blasé she sounded about such a serious topic. It'd been far too long since normal human crime had been a concern for her. Since becoming the Soldier of Beauty and Love, she had accepted supernatural threats as the norm while regular criminal activity, such as theft and murder, became the scary stories parents told their children to get them to behave. She almost laughed at her thoughts; to think, fantasy had become their new reality.

"Maybe, but I don't think we should rule it out as a possibility," Ami insisted, tapping her fingers on the spine of her book. "If it _is_ a new threat, we should be proactive about this."

"So, what do you suggest we do?" Makoto asked, unconsciously taking a cookie out of her container and munching on it. "It's not like we can just waltz up to a crime scene."

That was when an uncharacteristically sly smile spread across the Mercurian Senshi's gentle face. "Or _can_ we?"

* * *

The Ginza district was renowned for its luxurious shopping sites, opulent hotels, and lavish restaurants and was a safe place with the only dangers being pickpockets and scammers, so murders happening at such a glamorous spot was quite a scandal. The police had already shooed away the pestering news crews who had been scavenging for answers, along with the relatives and friends of the victims who demanded justice for their loved ones.

After taking a train from Minato to Chūō, Usagi and Minako observed the site from behind a building near a secluded alley a few blocks away.

Minako crouched down, shielding her eyes from the sunlight with her hands as she peered at the scene. Scowling, she cursed under her breath, "So many policemen... I can't stand it!" Since her Sailor V days, she harbored a dislike for the police due to them deeming her a suspicious character and underestimating her abilities even though she was capable of saving people in ways they couldn't.

While Minako griped, Usagi spotted someone across the street, standing parallel to the two blondes. It was a girl, presumably her age, with pink hair regarding the crime scene with a gloomy expression. Something stole her focus, and she found herself staring at a tall young man approaching the girl. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered words of comfort to her—she assumed, since the couple was well out of earshot—before walking away down the street, completely oblivious to the blonde closely studying them.

"It's time," Minako announced, freeing the odango-haired blonde from her fixation. Standing to her feet, she reached into her skirt pocket.

Usagi's hand fumbled to the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a pink, thin, cylindrical pen with gold details and a red gem on top. It felt so surreal to hold her disguise pen again; its cool touch brought back the memories of her early days as Sailor Moon, back when she was a reluctant heroine who didn't fully understand her responsibility as a Sailor Soldier.

 _Things seemed easier back then,_ _didn't they?_

In a similar fashion, Minako pulled out a golden yellow crescent moon shaped compact inlaid with pale yellow stars and red gem in the middle. Unlike Usagi's use with her pen, Minako hadn't used her crescent compact in three years after shedding her temporary sailor guise. After becoming a full-fledged Sailor Senshi, she saw no need to cling to the belongings of her amateur past. Looking back, she regretted not utilizing such a useful device more, but she could mentally kick herself later. As Usagi raised her pen, she raised her compact.

"Moon Power!"

"Crescent Moon Power, Transform!"

"Change me into a detective!"

Red streams of light erupted from the gem atop Usagi's pen, and Minako's compact flipped open with a shower of sparkling lights, respectively bathing the girls in gossamer curtains of magic. Had the area been populated by observant civilians, people would've noticed the bright flashes of red and yellow lights emitting from the alley.

"How do we look?" asked the newly-disguised Usagi once the pins-and-needles sensation of the transformation faded. The energy felt similar to that of a Senshi transformation, but less intense.

Once the shimmering lights receded, Minako held up her compact for her and Usagi to view their disguises. Both blondes were immaculately dressed, each of them donning near identical outfits. Their facial features were more mature, their formerly round eyes now winged and womanly, and their lips sporting coats of pink lipstick.

Usagi's odango hairstyle changed to a simple high ponytail that fell to her waist and her outfit featured a black leather button-down jacket that gave view to their low-cut plum purple shirt. She also wore tight black jeans fit with a holster housing an actual gun attached to her belt, alongside a realistic badge. Gracing her feet, were black open-toed heels.

Minako's hair was now shoulder-length and wavy with a small red bow at the right side. Her disguise consisted of a chestnut brown leather jacket over a low-cut dark blue shirt. Just like Usagi's outfit, her tight black jeans featured a gun holster next to a badge, and black high heels—similar to Sailor Mars'—protected her feet.

"Great," Minako approved, running a hand through her short, wavy locks. "Let's go."

Their task was a simple one; since they were the only ones with the ability to disguise themselves, Ami proposed that they sneak into Tokyu Plaza Ginza and investigate the crime scene and determine whether the cause of the murders was supernatural or not. Though it appeared to have slipped the Mercurian Senshi's mind that Usagi didn't possess any acting skills like Minako. Just how was she supposed pass herself off as a detective when she couldn't even act like a proper girl in high school?

It was too late to perform any acting exercises, however, as Usagi and Minako had already boldly stepped over several banners of police tape on their way over to the grand mall, only to be stopped by two serious-looking police officers.

"Who are you?" one officer asked, the irritation present in his husky voice.

Minako moved her jacket aside, allowing her badge to be seen. "Detective Aiko Kinsei," she announced, her voice strong and clear.

Usagi stepped forward and likewise showed off her badge. "D-Detective Tsuki Seigino." The lack of confidence in her tone was obvious, but she hoped the officers would interpret the tremor in her voice as the sign of a rookie on her first case.

Picking up on her friend's unease, Minako spoke, "We were sent here from Tokyo MPD to investigate the crime scene." Though her face was straight and unreadable, Minako was imagining Ami dressed as a police sergeant, giving orders to her and Usagi.

The officers shared a skeptical look. "Weren't detectives already sent here hours ago?" the other cop questioned, his voice much lighter and airier than his partner's.

Minako bit her lip, berating herself for not accounting for the possibility of actual detectives arriving in advance.

While she was thinking of an explanation, the stern officer spoke first. "Even if they weren't, why would two girls be sent to look into such an important case?" He folded his arms across his broad chest, mockery swimming in his eyes and arrogance marring his face.

Usagi felt her temper flare up, her previous nervousness retreating to the background. She now understood—to a degree—why Minako would always express abhorrence whenever the subject of police officers was brought up in any conversation. Even though she and Minako were at the age where it was politically correct to call them "girls", the officers had no way of knowing that. She was aware that the police department had always been a male-oriented society, but it still disgusted her that such sexism continued to prevail. It was the _21st_ century! "Maybe because you _boys_ are constantly wasting time and tax money."

Minako's indignation was at the same level as Usagi's. The disguised blonde took a step forward, threateningly stepping in the officer's space. Though she only made it up to his breastbone, she glared up at him with intensity in her baby blue eyes. "Now are you two going to lead us to the crime scene, or are we women going to have to do everything, _as usual_ , and find it ourselves?"

The husky-voiced officer's cool expression broke as he blinked rapidly at the woman's boldness. Embarrassed, he coughed in his fisted hand and stepped aside. "...Um, no. Right this way."

Minako let out a small huff through her nostrils, following the two cops with Usagi following behind her.

They made their way past several more thin borders of police tape before they reached a distance where Tokyu Plaza Ginza loomed over them intimidatingly. It was a large, grand building constructed out of pure glass that reflected the rays of the setting sun, causing the structure to take on an orange tint and resemble a building of amber.

As Usagi used her hand to shield her eyes from the reflected light, a sense of familiarity struck her when she entered the esteemed mall.

And it made her sick to her stomach.

 **~0~**

One of the main highlights of Tokyu Plaza Ginza was the sixth floor. While the design of the exterior of the building was based on the Edo Kiriko—traditional glass craft—the sixth floor truly embodied it with its Kiriko Lounge, an elegant space with high ceilings and stylish glass chandeliers. Half of the area was exhibition space for important events while the other half was a café named Sukiyabashi Sabo. But as the officers had informed Usagi and Minako on their way to the crime scene, another section was being added to the sixth floor. What it would be, they had no idea, but the police department would definitely remember it as a murder site for a while.

"Here we are."

The faux detectives stood side-by-side as they surveyed the desolate area. It was dark and quiet with the only sound being the buzzing the overhead fluorescent lights made. The windows were boarded up, though a few rays of light were able to pass through. Had they not been hardened by their responsibilities as Earth's guardians, they would've been more perturbed by the thick air of dread percolating through the department.

"Thanks, we'll take it from here," "Detective Kinsei" said in clear dismissal. When the two officers gave her puzzled looks, she reaffirmed her order with a sharp glare. It wasn't long before they left the "detectives" to do their work, bowing in respect before departing.

Once they were alone, Minako started walking around the area, being careful not to step on the purses that were littered about. "Now, where to start..."

Usagi stayed frozen as she took in the abandoned, soon-to-be addition to the lounge. She took note of the boarded up windows. _No one would've seen anything that happened in here._ She shuddered, desperately trying not to picture the little boy who had discovered his parents, but the images crept into her mind anyway: a small child, horrified beyond belief, finding his father and mother swinging helplessly from the ceiling. He must've been hopelessly searching for some form of comfort in their faces—looking for _some_ kind of sign that what he was seeing was just a cruel trick, only to have the sickly blue, lifeless faces of the people who had raised him confirm the horrible truth to him. Usagi morbidly wondered if he had been his parents' last thought.

And then there were the other 18 victims. It was a sickening thought, but Usagi couldn't help but wonder if some of them were children—innocent youths who had their lives stolen from them before they truly began. Unable to handle the chilling direction of her thoughts, the Lunarian Senshi hugged herself, shaking her head as if to rid the horrid suggestions from her mind. _I'm too sensitive._ She looked over to Minako to see if she too was struggling to endure the strong presence of death that tainted the corridor, but the Venusian Senshi was as composed as ever as she wandered down the far end of the area. _I should look around too..._ Averting her eyes, she traveled down her side of the hall to perform her own investigation.

While Minako was trying to look as though she was being productive, she had no idea what to do. She didn't possess any spiritual powers like Rei, nor were any of her devices capable of detecting a malevolent presence. Usagi's Silver Crystal had the ability, but Minako had noticed her princess was a little out of sorts at the meeting earlier, so she wanted to give her some space and let her collect herself. But with the lack of progress she was making, she had no choice but to disturb Usagi so she could assist her.

But as she turned a heel toward the other end of the hall, her ears picked up a faint swishing sound. Her hand drifted further and further into her jean's right pocket where her twitching fingers brushed up against the smooth orb top of her Crystal Change Rod. She slowly craned her neck and her eyes grew wide. Her transformation phrase was on the tip of her tongue before she was swiftly silenced.

* * *

Meanwhile, Usagi was crouched down on the floor, searching amongst the discarded belongings and 2x4's scattered all over the incompletely tiled flooring. Clutched in her hand was her Crisis Moon Compact, which was being waved around like some sort of detector. Since the Silver Crystal normally reacted when danger was present, she figured she could be useful and use her brooch to find an evil presence. But after a few minutes, it felt very much like a game of Hot and Cold, and it was clear that she was _freezing._ "Minako-chan, I'm not having any luck." She rose to her feet, dusting off her black jeans. "Maybe there was nothing to worry abo—" No sooner than the words had left her mouth, a feeling of trepidation came over her when Minako was nowhere in sight.

At that moment, her brooch started to glow with a soft pink light, the Silver Crystal's power peeking through in the form of iridescent rays of light. "...The Legendary Silver Crystal..." _Now_ there was something to worry about. Her fingers tightened around the heart-shaped compact, holding it closely against her sternum. As she traipsed down the section Minako had been exploring, the lights above her went out, each of them flickering out with loud hums that synchronized with the echoing clicks her heels made.

Finally, she made it to the end of the hall where the last remaining overhead light shined down on her. "Minako-chan?" While she didn't see her friend, she spotted her orange Crystal Change Rod lying abandoned beneath the flickering pearl white light.

She picked it up, worrying where its owner was, when without warning, the last light went out and enveloped her in darkness. In the dark, she felt something smooth and thin—perhaps silk?—brush up against both her ears. Before she knew it, incredibly tightening sensations beleaguered her biceps before she was briskly pulled upwards, Minako's Crystal Change Rod slipping from her grasp and tumbling back onto the floor.

Right when she thought she was going to crash into the ceiling, she stopped abruptly, her head bobbing so harshly it gave her a bit of nausea. She heard a low hum before white light filled her vision and she realized she hung just inches below the fluorescent light. When her eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, she realized she wasn't the only one suspended.

Directly in front of her was a person secured to the wall by their wrists and ankles with multiple white bandages that also covered a good amount of their body. Their legs were forced together and their arms were spread out wide, resembling a crucifix position. The white light playing over them revealed them to be a tan woman with violet eyeshadow adorning her closed eyelids. Her long, dark hair fell to her hips and a curtain of bangs swept above her eyebrows. At the sides of her head, were barrettes styled to resemble large yellow flowers with long, blue stamen sticking out. Around her neck, was an elaborate black choker inlaid with red gems and dangling blue jewels that reflected the light. She wore a sleeveless, hip-length black dress with a violet petticoat underneath and an oval-shaped opening in the chest, giving view to her bandaged cleavage. Around the waist of her dress, was a champagne gold chain with an ankh jewel attached.

A few quivering breaths escaped Usagi's lips. Was this a corpse that had escaped the police's notice? "...M-Miss? Can you hear me?"

The woman did not respond and remained as still as the executed Christ-figure she appeared to be.

Usagi's lips had dried up from fear; she really did not want to believe she was stuck in the air in front of a dead body. "...H-Hello?"

Tan eyelids rapidly snapped open and glowing red orbs put the gleam of the florescent lighting to shame while also overshadowing the white sclera in her eyes that could've maintained the illusion of her humanity. The corner of her mouth curled into a smile, accentuating her frightening beauty. The bandages on her arms came to life, slowly rising upwards like snakes then leapt towards Usagi, wrapping around her waist.

Usagi inhaled sharply at the tightening feeling, then tensed when she realized her face was only inches away from the woman's. It was so _eerie_. It was abundantly clear that she was the one controlling the bandages and was undoubtedly a _monster_ , but her _face_ —her alluring face, framed by those straight dark locks, perverted by predatory desire seemed so _human,_ as if—

"Crescent Boomerang!"

A pale gold crescent-shaped disc cut through the air, severing the bandages binding Usagi's wrists and waist. She didn't get to savor the relief of the tension on her limbs for long as she immediately plummeted down to the floor, roughly landing on her hipbone. Though the pain was distracting, she forced herself to stare up at the ceiling where the row of lights flared back to life with brighter gleams than they had before, revealing the world above her.

Covering the ceiling like a canopy were multiple layers of bandages, displayed in an intricate web of alabaster white with Minako tangled in the silk net like a trapped insect, her legs sticking out of the trap and kicking frantically while her free hand brandished her crescent compact to fend off the woman's lively bandages.

From the well of Usagi's heart, a sudden fury coursed into her, igniting every fiber of her being. She sprang to her feet and glared up at the tanned woman—a mummy, she realized—with righteous anger that seemed out of place on her innocent features. This vile creature—this horrid abomination who had taken all those precious lives, robbed a child of his family and mental innocence, was now attempting to harm her dear friend. _She will be punished._ Holding her Crisis Moon Compact close to her chest, she shouted, "Moon Crisis, Make Up!"

The mummy halted in her efforts to strangle Minako with her bandages when she noticed the immeasurably bright light below her, craning her neck and shifting the gaze of her crimson red eyes to witness pink ribbons cover the other girl's body from head to toe, replacing her clothes with a sailor uniform.

Super Sailor Moon wasted no time. She placed her index finger and thumb on the crescent-shaped gem on her tiara and removed it, turning it into a glowing circular blade. "Moon Tiara Action!" She hurled it and watched with satisfaction as it effortlessly sliced through the bandages holding Minako. Before she hit the floor, Moon ran and dove to catch her, letting out a grunt when the blonde fell in her arms. She would never—under any circumstance—say it out loud, but Minako was _very_ heavy.

From the alabaster web above them, multiple bandages shot towards the mummy, snaring her neck, arms, legs, and waist, ripping her from her place against the wall and bringing her up to the net-like aether above. It was silent for a few tense moments and the two blondes were left wondering if the mummy had retreated to some sort of safe haven. It wasn't even a full minute before more bandages dropped with alarming speed.

Minako shouted a warning to Sailor Moon, then clumsily hurled herself out of her princess' lap before the bandages reached them. As she dove for her Crystal Change Rod, she noticed out of the corner of her eyes that the bandages pulled themselves back taut, curling upwards and pointing in her direction as if they were looking at her. She crawled for her transformation device, but by the time she had managed to grab it, the bandages had raced towards her and coiled themselves around her, proceeding to trap her in another cocoon. Before she was completely encased, she poked the orange orb of her change rod through layers of gauze. "Venus Crystal Power, Make Up!"

The sparkling yellow energy of her transformation was powerful enough to set the bandages around her alight and turn them to ashes. Once Super Sailor Venus was on her feet, she pointed a gloved finger at the gauzy net defacing the ceiling as yellow light charged up at her fingertip. "Crescent Beam!" She fired a beam of pure light directly above, reducing layers of gauze to pieces as her power created a hole in the web. She was going to make that mummy abandon its cowardly, indirect way of fighting and face them head on.

She succeeded.

Four long bandages descended down below, impacting the floor with such tremendous force—force that was unnatural for such flimsy looking material—that it caused the ground the shake, creating small craters and waves of spidery cracks in the tiled floor. Slowly descending with her arms spread wide was the mummy. The four bandages were all growing out of her back, supporting her small frame like spider legs. Controlling the gauze so they moved like the legs of a real arachnid, the mummy advanced towards the Senshi. She held out her arms and the bandages around them shifted and unraveled, shooting off her tanned limbs in spirals, rushing towards Moon and Venus in the shape of drills.

Yellow light pooled into Venus' hand. She grasped it and the light compressed then grew into a long yellow chain with heart-shaped links. "Venus Love-Me Chain!" She lashed at the incoming drills, her chain making short work of the gauze and sending little bits of silk fluttering to the floor.

Moon knew Venus couldn't handle the monster for much longer. Snapping her head down beside her, she ordered, "Now, Chibi Moon! Call—" To the Moon Princess' disbelief, her counterpart and future successor wasn't by her side. _That's right... Chibiusa's back home._ How could she have forgotten? The pink-haired future Senshi of the Moon had gone back to her home in the 30th century after defeating the Dead Moon Circus, yet she still stared down at the spot as if her future daughter would be there. In spite of the situation, she felt a pang of loneliness strike her heart.

Taking advantage of the Moon Senshi's melancholy, the mummy launched one of her gauze drills straight at her. It took the panicked cry of Sailor Venus to alert her to the threat, allowing her to evade it just seconds before it crashed into the floor. Displeased with the lack of a corpse before her, the mummy continued its onslaught, the bandages on her arms splitting to create more weaponized gauze which forced Venus to create another yellow chain to keep up.

The dual chain-wielding Soldier of Love cracked her radiant weapons at speeds that were quickly eating up her energy and diminishing whatever arm strength she had. With each crack, bursts of yellow sparks ensued, along with loud bangs and fizzling sounds that gave the illusion of fireworks. Secretly, Venus was proud to be able to put on a show while combating an enemy. A bothersome bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face and she was tempted to wipe it away, but she had to keep up the pace, no matter how slow it was becoming. When more sweat raced down her cheeks, she was forced to wipe them away with her wrist, her Love-Me chain brushing up against her face—an odd, tingling sensation—unfortunately, that brief action left her open to the mummy's attack. Venus had no time to react as one of the drills slammed into her. The force of the attack was painful enough, but the momentum dragged her across the jagged, tiled floor, leaving lacerations all over her arms and legs.

"Venus!" Moon cried out. When she heard the slither of the mummy's silk appendages approaching, she spun back around to glare at the creature while standing bravely in front of her battered friend. Despite her bold stance, a worrying realization came to her— without Chibi Moon to call Pegasus, she couldn't use her Moon Kaleidoscope.

But that didn't mean she was defenseless.

Again, she removed her tiara. As it turned into a blade, she remembered that her first-ever weapon was no longer capable of finishing off monsters in a single blow. The first time it had failed her was when she tried to save her father and brother from a Cardian and the weaponized accessory had lost its potency, dropping to the ground like a useless bauble. But both she _and_ her power had changed a lot since then. Even if she couldn't kill it, she would still deliver punishment. "Moon Tiara Action!"

The circular blade flew out of Sailor Moon's gloved hand, rushing towards the mummy and severing the spider-leg like bandages to bring her crashing to the floor. But it wasn't over—the tiara circled back, this time closer to the mummy. It sliced open her neck, destroying her choker in the process and leaving a huge gash in her throat. Sailor Moon winced and turn her head in anticipation for the sight of blood, but a black sludge substance oozed out of the wound instead. In an attempt to stop the "bleeding", the mummy put a hand to her throat and summoned bandages to cover the injury.

While it was distracted, Moon helped the injured Venus to her feet. Deep cuts marred her exposed biceps and legs, and blood dripped onto the bodice of her uniform. A large hole was bored through the stomach of her leotard, giving view to a nasty bruise that wept fresh blood. Despite all this, she was strong enough to deliver one last attack. Once more, light built up at the tip of her index finger, but the glow was even bright than before, forcing Sailor Moon to shut her eyes. Before exhaustion hindered her, she shouted, "Crescent Beam Shower!" The light exploded from her finger in the form of a beam that soon split into multiple beams of light that rained down on the mummy. Each beam was heard pelting the creature with brutal impacts, to which Venus found a sick sense of satisfaction before succumbing to her fatigue.

The attack drew up a cloud of smoke and once it cleared, all that was left of the mummy was a puddle of black ooze.

* * *

A/N: I always felt that Minako's compact should've been used in the main series.


	4. Chapter 3: Birth of the Reader

A/N: It's been awhile! Please forgive me! *bows head* I present this chapter as a belated New Year's gift to you! And remember, You have to build up to the rise before you get to the great fall.

 **Edit:** The prologue has been edited, please go back and read it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Birth of the Reader**

The creatures of her namesake had long deserted the meadow, seeking shelter within the ivory petals of the inessential roses so they could be reborn as new harbingers of death in order to bring about the next big change. Whether it was intentional or not, they had abandoned her to suffer the same loneliness she once had to endure.

Bound by the shackles of the earth, the golden-haired messiah knelt upon the grass, the shining white moon showing her no sympathy as she was cloaked in her own crimson nectar and the remains of nature.

"Take it back," she pleaded, the soft and airy tone of her voice becoming more and more subdued. "Take it back." Her feathery white wings, tinged with a hint of red, fluttered slightly as if they wanted to take flight.

Why was she so quiet? Didn't she want to be heard? Didn't she want to be free?

In spite of her despondency, she parted her dry lips to whisper a message—whether it was out of desperation or a remaining shred of hope, she didn't know—begging someone, _anyone_ to take the pain away.

But nobody came.

Frustrated and alone, she lifted her head to the navy blue sky where the white moon hung in the airless night. Though her throat burned from her previous cries, she cursed the moon—her unreasonable progenitor who had cursed her to such a fate—with what little strength she had left. She continued until the crescent symbol on her brow began to glow. From that point, glowing veins of silver grew and spread throughout her body, covering every inch of her battered form with their sterling brilliance and soothed the blistering pain that plagued her back, along with the abrasions on her wrists.

At that moment, the clouds reappeared in the night sky, covering the white moon and concealing its light.

For first time in a long while, she was able to smile again.

 **~0~**

After 13 years, he never thought he'd hear the cries of an infant in his home again (he and Keiko had only wanted to have one child), but when he did, he leapt out of bed and ran towards his daughter's nursery. Throwing open the door, he rushed over to his baby's crib where the little one was wailing and wilding batting her arms.

"Aw, what's the matter?" He calmly checked the one year old's diaper to see if it held the reason for her fussiness, but it was unsoiled. Gently lifting the baby from her crib, he cradled her in his arms. The scent of lavender and baby powder invaded his nostrils and he felt an odd mix of nostalgia and shame. It had been _ages_ since he held something so fragile and helpless without being awash with the feelings of dominance and the narcissistic pride of a scientist. While he relished the opportunity he had been given to start over, he couldn't help but feel guilty since he was partially responsible for how far she had been set back. "Did you have a bad dream, Hotaru-chan?"

The little babe's wails soon quieted to whimpers as she looked up at her father with teary violet eyes.

Souichi Tomoe tapped his daughter's cute little button nose—something his late wife had taught him in order to calm their child down. "Are you hungry?"

And just like that, all traces of infantile sadness disappeared in a flash as little Hotaru's face brightened up, clapping her tiny hands in excitement.

Souichi threw his head back in laughter as he carried his daughter with him to the kitchen. "It's nice to see the influence those two had on you still remains."

* * *

Nearly a week had passed since the incident with the mummy and the Senshi were on edge.

At Hikawa Shrine, the girls, Luna and Artemis, and Mamoru were seated around a table adorned with Rei's white and blue china set. After warning everyone to handle her property carefully, the shrine maiden poured them all some orange jasmine tea provided by her doting grandfather. She even poured some for the two moon cats (albeit in foam cups). While having tea at Rei's was usually a relaxing pastime for them to discuss casual topics, such as the responsibilities they now had after joining after-school clubs, the group of Earth's defenders wasted no time with leisurely conversation and got straight to business.

After awkwardly balancing the foam cup between his paws, Artemis took a sip of his tea, but quickly snapped his head away after being burned. "It appears this new threat is quite serious," he spoke with his sore tongue.

Minako grimaced at the memory of the battle, proof of the occurrence evident by the small bandage on her cheek and the scar on her chin, though it would eventually fade away completely. She put a hand to her stomach, wincing at the touch. The bruise had finished healing a few days ago, but the area was still so sore that even the gentlest touch caused some discomfort. Even bending over was such a labor that she often had to ask Artemis to hand her things when she needed them. " _Very_ serious." She turned to the blue-haired genius sitting next to her. "Have there been any more incidents like what happened in Ginza?"

A grim expression made its way onto Ami's face as she pulled out the handheld supercomputer Luna had given her long ago and began typing away. While its primary purposes were to analyze enemies and solve complex problems, it was also capable of performing the functions of a modern internet appliance. Multiple news articles popped up on the small screen, each of them from different sources, but they all discussed the same topic. "In the past few days, people ranging from the ages of 16 to 20 were found suffering from anemia."

"Anemia?" Rei repeated. Once she finished pouring everyone tea, she took a seat between Makoto and Mamoru. "Do you think those incidents could be related to what recently occurred?"

"Maybe," Ami's eyes remained glued to her computer screen as she sifted through articles to see if an unusual theme connected them all, "but the victims have nothing in common." She tapped a button on her yellow keyboard and the news articles vanished. Appearing in their places were headshots of the 20 victims of the Ginza incident with detailed reports of their lives leading up to their deaths written below. "The people murdered at Tokyu Plaza Ginza varied in age, from preteen to middle age." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Usagi shiver and hug herself. Clearing her throat, she continued, "These anemic citizens, on the other hand, seem to be strictly young adults."

Makoto took a sip of her tea before setting it down on her saucer. "It could just be some overzealous teens trying to prove something," she said cheekily, casting a knowing look towards Minako.

The bow-wearing blonde huffed and folded her arms. The last thing she wanted right now was to be reminded of her Pure Heart fiasco. "Well, it doesn't _matter_ what the cause is if the public already _knows_ that there are monsters about. They'll just assume something supernatural is going on whenever something bad happens and cause a panic," she stated, sending a stern look Usagi's way.

After Sailor Venus had passed out, the two officers who had escorted her and Usagi to the scene of the crime returned, having heard some sounds from the battle. It didn't take long for them to realize that the detectives they had escorted had been Sailor Senshi in disguise. After they requested answers, Sailor Moon had revealed that a monster had been behind the murders at the mall. Before leaving with her unconscious comrade, Moon advised them to be on their toes and to put their faith in the Sailor Soldiers. When the Soldier of Love later regained consciousness and was briefed on what had happened, she chastised the Moon Senshi for alerting people to a magical threat before they were ready.

Usagi traced the blue details on her teacup with her finger and shifted uncomfortably under the bow-wearing blonde's intense gaze. "It would've been wrong to keep them in the dark. Besides, they would've found out sooner or later. And since when has a monster attack ever caused a panic in Tokyo?"

"Usagi-chan's right." The Soldier of Wisdom closed her mini computer and tucked it away. "But what we need to focus on now is how we're going to keep her safe."

The odango-haired blonde looked at her blue-haired friend quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Since Pegasus has returned to Elysion and Chibiusa-chan went back to the 30th century, you've been left with no means to access your power."

Makoto nodded in agreement. "So what we need to do is decide who will be with Usagi-chan and when."

"I think it would be best if we all cancel any future after-school plans like club meetings to make ourselves available," Ami began, mentally revising her schedule for the week. "Mako-chan and Minako-chan can pair together since they're in the same class as Usagi-chan."

"I don't know if I can," Makoto stated with uncertainty. "I've been meaning to check up on my friend Tomoko. A few months ago, she told me she was going to attend our high school, but she missed the first two weeks." The ponytailed brunette cupped her chin. "But maybe I can put it off for—"

"No," Usagi interrupted. "You don't need to do that." This _strategy_ they were coming up with was making her feel like a child whose parents were deciding which of them would take custody of her. She could not allow them to just... _abandon_ their personal lives and obligations so they could babysit her.

"Usako," Mamoru started, seated across from her on the other side of the table. "It's to protect you."

Usagi brought her eyes to the floor. She was still cross over the incident two weeks prior. "I don't need protection. I'm not powerless!"

"That tiara of yours doesn't really pack a punch anymore, Usagi," Rei reminded.

With spry movement, Luna made her way over to her charge. "She's right. When Pegasus started showing up, you've been reliant on his power. But now that he's gone, you're defenseless."

Usagi bristled at the suggestion. "I didn't have Pegasus' aid when I first started out as Sailor Moon," she countered. "Or any of you for that matter and I was nowhere near as strong as I am now."

"You had Tuxedo Kamen's help," Makoto pointed out.

"Tuxedo Kamen was never much _help_ ," her statement sounded a bit more bitter than she intended so she quickly added, "he only stayed for a minute or two before he was sure I could handle the situation on my own." While she refused to look at him directly, she noticed Mamoru's expression quickly change from wounded to relaxed.

Minako loudly set her teacup onto her saucer—much to Rei's annoyance—before scooping Artemis into her arms. "That was before he, or any of us, realized how important you are and just how high the risks were of letting you fight."

"But now we all understand the stakes," Ami added. "So let's take the time to figure out how we can rework our schedules."

* * *

She had hoped to find something idyllic about the world that grew anew in her absence, with its advanced civilizations and the major accomplishments they had achieved during her rest. Unfortunately, she hadn't been reborn with rose-colored glasses.

No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't see anything positive about the world that continued on without her and the others. At first, she tried to convince herself that the glaring sunlight and the overpowering spring scents were what had been dampening her mood, but she eventually accepted that it was the undeserving naiveté of the people of the modern world.

Though she really shouldn't have expected much. From what she had been told, the world's history had to start all over again after The Fall and people these days were ignorant of the days of old. It didn't matter how much progress they managed to achieve without the aid of their Treasure—a useless trinket, in her opinion—those descendants were blissfully ignorant of what true suffering was like.

But perhaps out of a subconscious yearning for something cheerful, she chose to linger near a playground. She had her piercing red eyes set on a little boy who was merrily playing with a bright red rubber ball, only to have his playtime interrupted by another boy. He snatched the ball away from him and waved it around like a symbol of victory, paying no mind to the other boy's wails as he sauntered off triumphantly.

 _How barbarous, but I suppose some things are destined to stay the same._

While she was distracted, she didn't notice how many kids had spotted her peering at them from afar. When she finally did, she tightened her grip around the handle of her parasol with her silk gloved hands, holding it at an angle where the shade concealed her face. Before she attracted too much attention, she decided then to take her leave.

As she strolled down the sidewalk, a young woman passed her by, chattering away on her cell phone. "Hino-sama, do you plan on displaying your archery skills at the festival?" she asked, her voice a bit too bubbly for her liking.

In spite of the girl's cheery personality, a smirk soon arose on her delicate features. Pausing in her stroll, she turned around and raised her parasol high enough to reveal her face. "You there, girl?"

The girl had just finished her conversation when she realized someone was calling out to her. She spun around to greet them, but took a cautionary step back when the stranger stood alarmingly close to her.

The mysterious woman cared not for the girl's apprehension and raised a gloved finger to her forehead, giving it a gentle tap. From the spot she touched, a soft golden light gleamed and shaped itself into a peculiar symbol—a circle with a cross inside. The woman at first seemed delighted, but her joy evaporated when the symbol quickly faded away.

"...W-What are you...?" The girl started to panic, confused as to what was happening.

The woman clicked her tongue in disappointment. "What a shame."

"What are you talking abo—" Before the girl could react, the woman flicked her forehead—not as gently as her last touch—and from that spot, a purple light shone instead, birthing dark purple spidery veins. As they slithered down her face, coursing down her arms and legs to taint every inch of her body with their violet malevolence, her complexion turned ash gray and her breathing became labored. She dropped to her knees, her trembling lips spewing blood onto the sidewalk before she fell face down onto the pavement.

Turning away from the girl's corpse, the woman raised her parasol and allowed the sunlight to shine on her face. She no longer feared its judgement.

* * *

Sunday afternoons were a favored time for people to get out of the house and enjoy the outside world. Cherry blossom season had ended weeks ago, but people still admired the lush spring flowers that grew around them and the ones that were being displayed in several flower shops. Those who browsed said shops were mainly people looking for flowers to get their sweethearts, and girlfriends begging their boyfriends to buy them roses.

Yet Usagi, out of all people, wasn't one of those girlfriends.

To make up for all the dates he'd cancelled, Mamoru decided to take Usagi on a walk through the town. While it looked romantic on the surface, the true purpose of the "date" was so Mamoru could stay close to Usagi and protect her should a threat arise and that much was obvious by the lack of conversation between them and the avoidance of eye contact. Though the latter was on Usagi's part.

"It's been awhile since we've been out like this," she finally said, her tone neither sad nor resentful. She'd waited weeks to spend some quality time with her prince, and though this "date" was only prompted by the arrival of the new enemy, she couldn't bring herself to be indignant.

"Yeah," Mamoru replied absentmindedly, the roses from the flower shops catching his eye.

Silence befell the couple once again, but the quiet was disrupted by the cries of two little girls running through the street with their worried parents close behind them, pleading with them to slow down. Once the mom grabbed hold of one of her rowdy daughters, she immediately began to scold her, leading to an argument between mother and daughter. The father, however, was much more merciful in reprimanding his other daughter.

The all too familiar scene brought up a rush of memories of Usagi's time with her own child. She never admitted it, but Chibiusa was more important to her than anybody realized. Not just because she was her precocious daughter, but because she provided her with something she never truly desired until after she became a Senshi— peace of mind.

After resolving the conflict with Ail and An, the girls started to make teasing remarks about her identity as the Moon Princess, saying she should act more proper and ladylike. Most of the time it was all in good fun, but some days their words would cut deep and it often left Usagi worrying she would have to live up to the ideal of a girl who no longer existed. And then came the revelation that she would take up her past mother's throne and rule a glorious utopia where people of the Earth and the Moon lived harmoniously, along with the fact that the little girl who had wormed her way into her life, brainwashed her family, and whose presence nearly wrecked her budding relationship was her own daughter.

Given the issue with the Black Moon Clan, Usagi didn't have the time to let all that sink in. It wasn't until after Chibiusa returned home that Usagi allowed herself to reflect on what she learned and she found herself incredibly proud that she would give birth to such a strong child who had the courage to make a harrowing journey across space and time to save her mother—the magnificent woman she was destined to become. The pride in her heart swelled when the rambunctious girl returned as a Sailor Soldier. After getting over the initial shock and annoyance her arrival caused, Usagi was secretly glad Chibiusa would continue her training in the past because she helped her shoulder the weight of the legacy of the Silver Millennium.

The family eventually headed into a coffee shop, and while it wasn't the same one from two weeks ago, it stirred bitterness within Usagi. "How was all that _work_ you had been struggling through?"

It took Mamoru half of a minute to realize what she was talking about. "Oh! I had managed to finish it after a few hours," he said, though his steady voice trailed off to a mumble at the end as he scratched the back of his head.

"Did it have anything to do with your major or that thesis you've been working on?" Usagi ignored the surprised look she received. School was never a topic she liked to discuss on their dates since it made her feel stupid and incompetent whenever she begrudgingly showed him her test scores only to receive a pitying, disappointed look and a resigned, _"Study harder next time."_ And while college education was _definitely_ beyond the depth of her understanding, she at least made an effort to listen to him whenever he discussed his studies.

"It... actually had nothing to do with my thesis."

 _At least he's being honest._ "But how _is_ your thesis coming along?"

Mamoru regarded her curiously. "Slowly, but I won't bore you with the details. You wouldn't understand."

Usagi directed her gaze to the sidewalk. He could at least _try_ to explain it to her.

"So, how's school?"

Usagi sighed inwardly. Another generic question had made an appearance. "Last week, I joined the Manga and Illustration Club."

The Earth Prince quirked an eyebrow. "Manga? I'm sure you could find something better to do with your time than that. Why not sign up for after school study sessions instead?"

Usagi's jaw clenched. She wanted to tell him _no,_ she couldn't do anything else with her time, that she didn't have the attention span required to put in long hours of studying that would make her an adequate student, that drawing was the only thing that made her feel like she wasn't a total failure and was actually capable of doing something worthwhile, but with his belittling of her comprehension and her interests, she could only bring herself to childishly huff, "I'm gonna go off on my own for a bit!"

"W-What?" Mamoru stuttered, caught off guard by her sudden mood change. "Go where?"

"Just somewhere where I can think." She turned on her heel and began to walk back down the other end of the sidewalk.

Worried, Mamoru put a hand on her shoulder. "Usako, that may not be the best idea. The sun's going down, at least call one of the girls to—"

"No, I'll be fine," Usagi insisted, shrugging off his hand. She continued her walk and when she was out of earshot, her head slowly bobbed downward as she whispered, "Besides, I should learn to do things by myself."

* * *

As one of the most spiritual countries in the world, Japan hosted shrines which were revered as holy places of worship, and its staff as noble caretakers. Hikawa Shrine was a sacred place of Shinto worship (even though a certain priestess-in-training went to a Catholic school), and even though the head priest was a well-known pervert, it brought in a lot of customers who sought advice or charms. Though after hours of work, Rei was relieved to finally to catch a break.

After the Senshi meeting, Rei had been swamped with people who came to her for protective charms and for one-on-one meditation sessions with her. Then there was the phone call she received from her exuberant classmate half an hour ago regarding the school festival that would take place in September and her possible participation with the Archery Club. She had tried to sound as patient as possible on the phone; managing the shrine was enough work already and she didn't need to think about preparations for the festival so far in advance. And while she _was_ grateful for the business _and_ for the fact that her grandfather hadn't harassed anyone, instead performing duties inside the shrine (and most likely bothering one of the new shrine maidens), the second the last customer went down the shrine steps, she slumped against one of the shrine pillars and let out a long sigh. It was getting dark and she doubted she would get any more visitors.

"Rei-senpai?"

At the sound of the voice, Rei quickly straightened up and grabbed a nearby broom that had been propped up against one of the pillars in order to appear as though she had been sweeping. As the head miko, she needed to present herself as a diligent worker in front of the other shrine maidens.

Approaching the raven-haired priestess was a petite young woman with somewhat messy rosewood pink hair that fell to her waist and matching-colored eyes, wearing the same white and red miko robes as Rei.

"What is it, Tsue?" Rei asked, dropping the façade and letting her broom drop to the ground as she casually walked over to the new shrine maiden. Having been around longer than the other new mikos, Tsue knew Rei wasn't the "mysterious, elegant maiden" the others assumed she was, and so she had a very laid-back relationship with her while the others practically worshipped her.

Tsue tucked a rosewood strand of hair behind her ear before gesturing to the white torii gate by the steps. "There's someone here to see you."

"Really? Who..." Rei trailed off when she saw who it was that had entered the shrine grounds.

Walking over to the two shrine maidens was a young man—appearing to be in early adulthood—with short, neatly styled, dirty blond hair with only a few strands falling out of place over his forehead and dark green eyes shielded by thin-framed glasses. He was dressed sharply in a black business suit and he carried with him a bouquet of Casablanca lilies secured by a bright red ribbon, and a small rectangular box fit with a blue ribbon and bow. "Hello, Rei," he greeted warmly, stopping four feet away from her with Tsue bridging the gap between them.

"Kaidou," Rei acknowledged. Her voice was curt, returning none of the friendliness the man before her had offered her.

Feeling the obvious tension, Tsue stepped aside and headed towards the shrine. "I'll go see if the head priest needs anything."

With her assistant out of the way, Rei folded her arms and glared at the young man, her expression holding nothing back. "A little early for this, isn't it?"

It was unclear if Kaidou was daunted by the miko's fiery gaze, but he gave no indication as he explained, "He has a busy schedule this year so he wants to get this out of the way."

 _Sure sounds like him,_ Rei thought bitterly. In the distance, she noticed two girls—who she recognized as her classmates—arrive up the steps. By the way they were frantically waving their arms, it was obvious they were trying to get her attention, but she fixed them to their spots with a warning look when they tried to approach her.

"So, how are things?" Kaidou asked after a minute had passed and no one had spoken.

Rei resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his attempt at making conversation. "Things are fine. How's your _wife?_ "

Kaidou flinched at the acidity on the word "wife". "...Sh-She's fine. She sends her best." After a few moments of silence, he gingerly handed Rei the lilies and the box. "I'll see you later, Rei."

The priestess-in-training didn't bother with any parting words as she watched Kaidou head down the shrine steps. Tsue eventually found her way back to her side, her hands clamping onto her shoulders as she gazed down at her gifts.

"Was that your boyfriend, senpai?" While she had claimed to go help Rei's grandfather, the second she reached the building, Tsue hid behind one of the pillars to peer at her superior and her visitor, their meeting playing out—in her mind, at least—as a scene from an old romantic movie: the man, returning after years apart to reconcile with his old flame, bearing gifts as proof of his loyalty.

Rei, however, gave a mirthless chuckle at the assumption, tightening her grip around the lilies. "No, just someone who broke a promise."

The pink-haired miko was about inquire further when the two girls who had been waiting by the gate ran over to them. Or rather to _Rei_ , as they hip checked poor Tsue to the side. Now that they had her full attention, both girls went into hysterics, their frantic explanations overlapping each other.

With the aggravation from Kaidou's visit still present, Rei was in no mood to deal with her classmates' nonsense. That much made was clear when she clenched the box hard enough to make a dent in its corner and gripped her flowers even tighter to the point where they were starting to wilt. "Ryuji, Aina, I don't have time for—" But as she was about to chew both girls out, she noticed that their eyes were puffy and their cheeks had noticeable tear stains. And while she had been intentionally blocking out their words, their babbling normally being very... enthusiastic, she caught the fear and worry in their voices. "What's wrong, girls?" she finally asked, her tone becoming much softer.

"...S-Senpai, we saw..." Ryuji, a short brunette, managed to choke out before misery took hold of her once again, her words dissolving into incoherent sobs.

She was immediately comforted by Aina, a petite blonde, even though she looked ready to burst into tears as well. "Rei-senpai... On our way home, we—" Her voice broke, but she shook her head and held herself together. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "We saw Mamimi..."

"Is she all right?" Rei asked, though judging from their behavior, it was clear something wasn't right.

Aina held Ryuji even tighter when her sobbing became worse, while tears finally leaked out of her own eyes. Unable to keep it together, she burst out, "Mamimi had a seizure! She was found dead on the streets!"

The lilies and the present box slipped from Rei's grasp and fell to the ground.

* * *

Of all the places for Usagi to wander off to, the library was the least expected.

Night had fallen rapidly and she didn't want to take the risk of walking home in the dark, so she took shelter in the first lit building she saw. As soon as she stepped into the library, she was met with a rush of cool air from the air conditioner. Surveying her surroundings, she recognized some of the youths that occupied the area as students from her high school, though some of them weren't in her class. They were probably here to finish up some homework before school tomorrow. _I should really do that too, huh?_

She looked around for a good place to sit and noticed a display of recently released books over by the front desk. While she usually had no interest in reading anything other than manga, the cover image of a Pegasus caught her attention. Heading over to the display, she picked up one of the copies. It was, admittedly, a really pretty cover and the title was somewhat alluring— _Illusion of Pegasus_ —but what had jumped out at her was the name of the author: Tomoko Takase.

 _Tomoko... That's Mako-chan's friend!_ She now remembered the shy author who had written the first book she had ever taken a serious interest in and was unfortunately targeted by Tiger's Eye. _Mako-chan said she was going to our school,_ she recalled, tapping her chin with the book. Perhaps she would be in their class? _I could buy a copy of her second book and get her to sign it!_ She began to hop up and down with glee until she heard someone loudly clear their throat, the sound in question coming from the librarian—a middle-aged man with a sour countenance who regarded her with an admonishing look. After sheepishly bowing an apology, she scooted away with her new book.

She made her way through the lounge area, passing by several of her schoolmates: the President of the Student Council, dutifully taking notes from a book; the Hungarian transfer student texting away on her phone; a disinterested looking brunette reading what appeared to be—as indicated by the cover image displaying a girl with two handsome young men behind her—a romantic novel; and a familiar looking pink-haired girl listening to music. Usagi made a mental note to talk to that last girl the next day just as she spotted a vacant table with... flowers?

She set her book down and took a closer look, a sugary aroma tickling her nose when she dipped her head closer for observation. So they were _sweets_ —pink rose-shaped sweets, to be exact. There were six of them in a small square box with a thin spread of plastic hanging off one of the corners. As she slid into a chair, she noticed there were no belongings left behind. Maybe these were complimentary sweets offered by the library? She never heard of any library doing such a thing—she would be dragging her friends to study there every day after school if that were the case—but if it meant she could take those delicious looking treats without worry, then she would go along with it. After stealing a few glances around her to see if anyone was nearby, she sneaked her hand to grab one of the treats.

The harsh sting of a hardcover book striking the back of her hand prevented her from succeeding.

Usagi drew her hand back with a howl and was promptly chastised with a chorus of _shhh!'s_ from the other patrons, as well as a frosty glare from the librarian. As she muttered a few apologies, she heard her assailant chide her in a flat tone, "Those are not yours to pilfer." _Wait a minute..._ That cool voice rung a bell—a very _painful_ bell. Putting a hand to her chest, she looked up and was met with a cold lazuli stare.

Standing over her was the girl from the café—who also happened to be one of her schoolmates, as she recently learned—looking down at her with an impassive expression that matched well with her aloof voice. She tossed her dark ponytail over her shoulder and folded her arms with her hardcover book in hand. Her brows lifted ever so slightly when she recognized Usagi. "You?"

Usagi sniffed indignantly. "Yes, _me._ Is there something you'd like to say to me?"

"Petty theft is punishable by up to three years in jail?"

Usagi angrily sputtered, obviously expecting an apology. "Wha— No! For what happened two weeks ago!"

"Oh, that? My apologies," she said, brushing her wavy bangs aside, "I tend to go on the attack whenever some debilitatingly clumsy twit falls on top of me and knocks a chocolate dessert into my hair." Her tone was as calm as it was sarcastic. "Now, are you going to leave so that I may enjoy my solitude or are you just going to sit there and continue to leer at my candies?"

A bit put off by the other girl's curt manner, Usagi looked away and fidgeted with her fingers, a nervous habit. "Well, I was _hoping_ to find somewhere to sit..." she trailed off, looking towards the other tables that were, unfortunately, occupied with no room to spare.

Noticing this, the girl sighed and took a seat next to the blonde, resting her chin on her hand. Without asking if Usagi wanted any, she slid the box of rose-shaped sweets over to her while avoiding eye contact, instead opening her book and flipping to a marked page. She did, however, steal a few awkward glances at the other girl before focusing on her book.

Taking the sweets as permission to stay, she helped herself to one of them. As soon as she sunk her teeth into the tender petals, she let out a—mostly muffled—moan of delight at the taste of strawberry and vanilla filling. When she got to the center of the rose, her squeals were less subdued and she now sported a little mustache from the vanilla filling.

The blonde's barely contained enthusiasm brought the dark haired girl's eyes away from her book and she gave the other girl a peculiar look. "You know," she started, using her fingers to mark her page, "I visit this library quite often and I've never seen you or heard your obnoxious squealing here before, so what made you come here today?"

Usagi didn't hear her at first, still enjoying her treat, but when she finished, the question finally hit her ears and she found herself unable to answer. She had almost forgotten how it was her rash and immature behavior that had been what steered her towards the library in the first place. Just how was she supposed to face Mamoru again? For the longest time, she had been waiting for an opportunity to strengthen their bond, but once again her childishness had ruined that. And what a fool she'd been, wandering off without back up when danger could strike at any moment. That wasn't any way for a leader to act, let alone a future queen.

"You can have the rest."

She felt a gentle nudge against her arm and saw the box of remaining candies. She looked over to the other girl who appeared as though she was trying to avoid looking at her—she doubted the book she was reading was really that interesting—her body turned away from her, and her head directed down to her book, though she wondered if the position was hurting her neck. "Oh no, I can't—"

"It's all right," she interrupted, curling the end of her ponytail around her pinky finger. "I have an abundance of sugar flowers at my home, so you may continue to gorge on what I gave you." No sooner did the words leave her mouth, Usagi's chomping was heard once again. "But a word of caution; those flowers are _very_ sweet, so don't eat—" When she looked away from her novel, the blonde had already eaten three of the remaining five roses and was well on her way to the fourth. "...too much at once."

"Sorry!" Usagi giggled, little crumbs falling out of her mouth. She was quite a sight with vanilla on her face, and her cheeks plump like a chipmunk's with all the sweets she was devouring.

The girl shrugged as she observed the messy eater beside her. "I do hope your stomach can handle that."

"It can!" the blonde assured, popping the final rose into her mouth. "You're new to Juuban, aren't you?" Once she finished, she licked the icing off her fingers for good measure.

The maroon bow-wearing girl didn't seem to expect such a question. "I am, what of it?"

"Most of the students at our high school are people I often see around the area, or those who came straight from the middle school, so I know almost everyone. You're one of the few people I hadn't met!" _Along with that strange girl Naru-chan's friends with..._

"Ah, well," the dark haired brushed a few crumbs onto the floor, secretly hoping the stern librarian hadn't noticed, "I'm Kiyoko Chiba from Class 1-3. And I admit, I _did_ recently move here from Kyoto a few months ago."

"I'm Usagi Tsukino from Class 1-1," she introduced herself in turn. "And isn't Kyoto a great place with beautiful sights and famous temples? I can't imagine why anyone would want to move away from there!"

Kiyoko spotted a pebble-sized pink crumb on the table and flicked it towards Usagi, nailing her right between the eyes. "While it may be lauded for its superficial charm, it's still a place where most of the people are worthless cattle."

Usagi wiped the residual crumbs from her face and just when she opened her mouth to question the other girl's harsh remark, the librarian came to scold them.

"Just why are you ladies making a mess in my library?" His sharp gaze went from the empty box on the table, to the crumbs on the floor, then to the both of them, pinning them to their seats as they prepared their apologies.

* * *

Mamoru walked down the sidewalk with his hands shoved in his pockets, a small smile on his face when he looked down at the rose in his front shirt pocket. After Usagi wandered off, he went to one of the flower shops they had passed and purchased a single red rose. The shopkeepers were confused as to why he would only get one, but Mamoru was too busy enjoying his inside joke to explain himself.

The evening sky was a deep indigo blue with the white moon already making an appearance with its presence slightly obscured by a few clouds, few stars showing themselves, and a bit of orange peeking out over the horizon, a remnant of the afternoon sun. Rays of red light suddenly flashed across the sky, out of place and clashing with the beautiful hues. When he rounded the corner, he happened upon a scene with several police cars situated on the side of the road and police officers conversing with a few shell-shocked civilians on the sidewalk. As he walked by, he caught the tail end of a conversation between a trembling young man and an officer who was recording his statement.

"...laying there on the ground like that, completely pale like a ghost..." He shook his head as if to erase the event from his memory. A woman came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, but it did little to calm him.

Mamoru slowed his pace, hoping to hear more, but he then noticed what were undoubtably splotches of blood on the concrete. Before he knew it, he was walking towards the sidewalk, standing by the side of an officer so casually, as if they were equals—as if he was _supposed_ to be strolling onto what was obviously a crime scene with such cavalier. Before the officer could question his presence, he asked, "Sir, how long ago did this happen?"

The officer scanned the written report on the clipboard he held, turning a page or two before finding what he was looking for. "About an hour ago."

 _But that's when..._

Mamoru turned and ran.

 **~0~**

He bumped into several people along the way, but he kept going until he made it to Hikawa Shrine. It was murder on his legs, but he forced himself to make the run up the shrine steps and when he reached the top, he practically flung himself across the torii gate. He slumped over with his hands resting on his knees as he took a few breaths. When he stood back up, he felt a chill down his spine when he took in the shrine building. It wasn't as if he had never been there before; as an ally to the Sailor Soldiers and the boyfriend of their leader, Mamoru was a frequent visitor, usually there for meetings and to help the girls study.

But _this time_ was different. He'd never been there when at night—when the commotion of visitors and teenage warriors had vanished and all was silent, and certainly had never been lead there by dire circumstances such as these. Seeing the shrine _now_ , framed by darkness with the light evening breeze causing the omikuji at the haiden to rustle, the white and red twisted rope to flutter and the bell it hung from to ring softly, gave the building an air of foreboding that invoked a sense of fear in the Earth Prince.

Nevertheless, he ran forward. "Rei!" he cried out, throwing the sliding door open when he reached the main building. "Is—"

Just as he had the priestess-in-training in sight, a blur of white and red flashed before him as three girls in shrine maiden attire formed a wall between him and Rei, looking down on him—even though they were a tad shorter than him—with icy disapproval. Similar to the miko he wished to see, all three of them had an elegant and somewhat threatening air about them, managing to intimidate the college student with only their sharp glares. In perfect unison, they folded their arms, their hands disappearing into their robe-like sleeves. "What do you want with Rei-sama?" all three of them asked in identical, dull voices. But it was clear from their hard expressions that they weren't asking a question, but _demanding_ an answer.

Mamoru took a step back and held up his hands defensively. "I'm a friend of hers." He tried craning his neck to see if he could spot Rei and get her attention, but the three mikos effectively prevented any chance of even having eye contact with her.

"She is not taking visitors right now."

"Rei-sama has just received terrible news and needs to grieve."

"Please come again tomorrow."

With their flat, emotionless tones, Mamoru idly wondered if they were actually humans. "But I—" Before he could even blink, all three of them were suddenly upon him, two of them grabbing his arms and proceeding to drag him out of the shrine, while the third stood by the sliding door with her head raised high and the corners of her mouth curving to form a hint of a smile, one rife with self-satisfaction and what appeared to be a condescending message stating, _"Thank you for coming."_

"Tari, Katai, Mika," Rei finally spoke up. Her voice was stern, but it carried a twinge of exasperation.

The two mikos immediately released Mamoru and, along with the third, whirled around, their backs ramrod straight with their arms folded behind them. "Yes, Rei-sama?" they questioned in unison. Mamoru was a little creeped out by how... _servile_ they sounded, their voices so chipper and robotic like servants waiting to receive orders.

 _That's something_ _you'll have to get used to soon._

Mamoru could hear a chair scraping against the floor and heard the faintest of footsteps approaching. "Let him through, he's a friend." When the three stepped aside, Mamoru was able to get a good look at Rei: the way she walked was slower, without the bounce it usually had, and her eyes were red and puffy like she had been crying recently. She didn't carry herself with—how did Usagi once put it?—the confidence of a fabulous leader. Plainly put, she looked _tired._

Tari, Katai, and Mika all bowed and responded in their disturbing identical tones. "Please call us when you need something." They filed themselves in a single line and shuffled out of the room like the automatons they appeared to be.

Once they were gone, Rei turned her weary violet eyes on Mamoru. "So I guess you heard?" She ran a hand through her long raven locks and let out a heavy sigh. "A girl named Mamimi Sanegayama was found dead a little while ago."

"I know. I just walked past the crime scene on my way here."

Rei shuddered. "She was a classmate of mine," she said, though Mamoru wasn't sure if she was actually talking to him or to herself, but he listened nonetheless. "It's silly, but I wish I had known there was something wrong."

"I'm so sorry, Rei." He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, not quite sure what else to say to that. "Sometimes we can't always know when the people we care about are in trouble." As he said that, the true reason for him rushing over to the shrine suddenly came back to him and he mentally kicked himself for making such a statement, yet forgetting what he came for. "Is Usagi here?"

"No..." The priestess-in-training knit her eyebrows together. "I thought she was on a date with you?"

The Earth Prince ruffled his dark locks in frustration. "She _was_ , but she walked off. She said she wanted to go somewhere she could think."

Without a word, Rei dashed past him and out the door. Mamoru needed no instruction to follow her. There was no exchange between the two as they rushed down the shrine steps, but Mamoru could swear he heard Rei grumble something along the lines of, "Of course that Odango Atama picks _now_ to _think._ "

* * *

"Miss? Miss, please wake up."

At first Usagi ignored the constant poking in her shoulder, stubbornly shaking off the touch so she could continue her nap, but when it became too bothersome, she groggily opened her eyes to the librarian hovering over her. His perpetual scowl prompted Usagi to sit up straight in her seat, practically intimidating the drowsiness from her. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Long enough for everyone else to leave." The librarian gestured to the windows to show night had fallen, to the now vacant tables, and to the last employee leaving for the day. She could see the sections of the library where the lights had turned off with the lounge area she was in currently being the only one that was still lit. "Your friend left a little while ago and it's time for you to do the same. The library will be closing in a few minutes." He turned and walked back to the front desk, probably to retrieve his belongings, she presumed.

Usagi glanced to the vacant seat next to her where Kiyoko had sat. _She could have at least woken me up before she left._

She recalled what happened after the librarian chastised them: they were forced to sweep up the crumbs they had spilled onto the floor—Kiyoko had argued it was _Usagi's_ sloppy eating that made the crumbs, but she was forced to participate in cleaning them up anyway—in full view of the other patrons, much to her embarrassment. She even saw some of her schoolmates stifling a few laughs. After cleaning up what was, admittedly, her mess, she decided to doze off, using her new book as a pillow.

 _This day has been a_ _waste..._ It was now nighttime and the only thing she accomplished today was getting some sleep. When she saw Mamoru again, she hoped he would brush off her behavior as the result of being stressed from the enemy's attack.

"Hey! What—"

The shout, followed by the sound of objects tumbling to the floor coming from across the room pulled her from her thoughts. _That sounded like the librarian._ "Sir? Is everything all right?" It was deathly silent and the sparse amount of light didn't do much to calm her nerves. At that moment, she felt something warm against her thigh and saw a bright pink glow coming from inside her skirt pocket. Fishing it out, she realized it was her Crisis Moon Compact. _Trouble_ _._ The brooch was hot, having heated up in anticipation of danger, but she held it closely to her chest anyway, hoping the warmth would quell her unease as she stood to her feet.

She moved through the lounge area, weaving around the tables until she reached the front desk. "Sir?" She leaned forward, but she couldn't bring herself to peer all the way over the desk so she went around. "Hello? Are—" Lying there on the floor, face down with several books and what appeared to be a satchel scattered around him was the librarian. A wordless cry of worry escaped her lips and she quickly went to the floor, flipping the librarian over with the intention of giving him a few gentle pats to the face to wake him, but she found herself staring at a deathly pale face marred with dark purple veins, bloodshot eyes, and blood leaking from pale lips.

Usagi's throat tightened as hot tears raced down her cheeks. She tried to shake him awake, her attempts starting out slow and gentle before becoming desperate and vigorous, all the while telling herself, _'He's only unconscious, he's only unconscious.'_ While it wasn't currently her focus, she was aware of her brooch slipping out of her pocket where she had put it back, sliding on the floor beside the librarian's head.

It pained her to do so, but she eventually admitted to herself that nothing could be done. He was already gone.

Her trembling fingers found his ashen face, but soon curled back out of guilt over the loss of another life she couldn't save. Her quivering lips opened to mutter an apology to the corpse, but it instead came out as a pitiful sob. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Crisis Moon Compact's glow brighten in response to her turbulent emotions. "...Who did this..." The longer she stared into his dead eyes, she felt her anguish morph into something bitter, more than just _anger_ — a need for _justice._ " _Who did this?!_ "

"There's no need to shout, my dear."

A calm silky voice coming from behind her teased. Without turning around, she quickly grabbed her brooch and pulled herself off the floor, carefully stepping around the librarian's body and getting a good distance away from the source of the voice before whirling around to face it.

Casually standing by the dead librarian was a frighteningly pale young woman with glowing red eyes and messy silver hair styled in a braid that was long enough to sweep across the floor. She wore a strapless, knee-length black dress with frilled ends decorated with violet ribbons and a diamond-shaped cutout revealing her abdomen. At the right hip of her dress and at the top of the cutout, just below the base of her cleavage, were violet ribbons adorned with purple roses. Sewn underneath her dress, was a floor-length, frilled-end black lace skirt, the middle of which was a transparent purple material that provided view to her legs. Around her neck, was a black choker with a purple rose. Her footwear consisted of black flats with purple roses at the toes and black ribbon-like criss-cross straps that spiraled asymmetrically around her legs, reaching her knees with violet ribbons. Her black silk gloved hands tenderly gripped a black, floral-patterned lace parasol with dangling purple baubles and a silver skull handle.

The Silver Crystal within the brooch shined even brighter now that the threat had presented itself. When the creature's eyes fell to her compact, Usagi pressed it against her sternum. "Did you do this?" she asked, jerking her head in the body's direction. The cold smile she received was all the confirmation she needed. She did her best to appear undaunted and tightened her fingers around the Crisis Moon Compact. "What do you want?"

Rather than answer, the woman twirled her parasol like a baton, fixing the blonde with an unblinking stare as she pointed it directly at her. With that unsettling smile on her face, she hissed, "Justice." The parasol popped open and began to glow with violet energy.

Usagi took a half-step back as she stuttered out her transformation phrase. "M-Moon Crisis, Make—Augh!" Before she could properly finish, a beam of energy shot from the tip of the parasol. And though she didn't say her phrase completely, pink ribbons burst from her brooch just as the beam slammed into her, acting as a thin barrier of sorts that shielded her from suffering the full brunt of the attack as they wove around her body to form her sailor uniform. The force of the beam, however, sent her flying across the library before sending her crashing through the window. By the time she hit the ground, surrounded by glass shards, the transformation had finished and Super Sailor Moon was sore before the fight truly began.

It seemed that her opponent did not want to follow her out the window. Instead she walked out the door of the library and calmly approached the Soldier of Mystery.

Before she got too close, Sailor Moon hopped to her feet and reached for her tiara. "Moon Tiara Action!" She aimed her circular blade for the creature's throat, hoping to slice it open like she did with the mummy's, but the woman closed her parasol and used it to bat away the weaponized accessory, swatting it away as if it were merely a bothersome fly rather than a weapon meant to kill her. Her tiara automatically circled back to her and while she readjusted it to her brow, the creature opened her parasol to fire another blast.

The Soldier of the Moon leapt back to dodge it, but the shockwave caused by the blast of energy that ended up sinking into the ground caused her to lose her stability and fall flat on her behind. Her stumbling did not go unnoticed by her opponent. Right before the next blast came, Moon quickly rolled to the side and in the same beat, removed her tiara yet again and hurled it.

The woman expected this attack and once again parried it with her parasol, smacking it back to the Moon Senshi with enough force that it caused her to stagger back when it returned to its place on her brow, along with giving her a bit of a headache.

While the creature charged up another attack, Moon charged at her, jumping over the violet blast of energy and turning a flip forward as she descended to land a kick. But with fluid movement, the woman avoided it by casually sidestepping the Moon Princess' would-be assault. As soon as she landed without delivering a blow, Sailor Moon attempted a roundhouse kick, but her opponent stepped back then repeatedly thrusted her parasol like a sword to strike her.

Moon, however, deflected each one with the swipes of her gloved arms—she was certain they now had bruises, but was grateful the woman's parasol didn't have any sharp appendages—then unleashed a series of punches, but her opponent was practically dancing around her strikes. The closest she could come to hitting her was when her fist narrowly missed her face and ended up making contact with a few locks of silver hair.

But as unflappable and light on her feet as she was throughout, Sailor Moon's constant blows were proving too much for her and the woman finally stumbled, staggering backwards and looking as though she were about to fall back.

The Moon Senshi was quick to exploit her misstep and swung her right leg to connect with her face. The woman fell flat on her back with a girlish shout and her parasol slipped from her grasp, skating a foot away from her.

 _Now's my chance!_ Sailor Moon put a hand to her tiara for what she hoped was the last time. But as she was preparing her attack, the creature sat up, her tranquil expression finally breaking as she looked at the Moon Princess with poison in her glowing red orbs. When Moon noticed her opponent was getting back up, she roughly pulled her tiara off her brow so she could deliver the killing the blow.

But she wasn't fast enough.

Before the tiara could even morph into a blade, the woman had already grabbed her parasol, jabbing Sailor Moon right in her brooch with the tip. A smile curled on her lips, not poised like her previously unfaltering one had been, but scornful and smug like a villain who had already won. Her parasol glowed with energy and she fired.

Sailor Moon's tortured scream rang out in the night, dark energy rippling through her as she received the blast at point blank range. She was sent hurtling across the field and landed roughly on her spine. True to her civilian namesake, she trembled like a scared rabbit as the creature's attack crackled throughout her entire body, its power igniting every nerve with pain. Since it was too much of a labor to lift her head to see for sure, she tried to listen for the hum of energy being charged up, but the only thing she heard was the sound of rustling fabric, suggesting the creature was brushing off her dress.

 _I can't do this alone..._ Ignoring the pain that surged, she managed to tighten her right hand into a fist, prompting the pink wristwatch communicator styled after her second brooch to appear over her wrist. She parted her trembling lips to call out for one of her Guardian Senshi.

 _'You're defenseless.'_

Any cry for help she was about to deliver instantly dried up in her mouth. Why did Luna's words have to swim in her mind _now?_

 _'That was before he, or any of us, realized how important you are and just how high the risks were of letting you fight.'_

Letting _me fight?_ She repeated the words in her head with such vexation that it surprised her. She could hear the rustling of the woman's dress cease and heard what were unmistakably footsteps coming towards her. At that moment, the clouds in the night sky parted and a shaft of moonlight rained down on her. She remembered Ami once saying how Senshi could be invigorated by being around the elements they commanded and she was starting to feel the truth in her words. As the moon's light— _her_ light shined on her, the ache in her body was starting to vanish, the strength returning to her limbs little by little. The heat of her royal crescent symbol started to blaze beneath her tiara, causing its pale yellow crescent emblem to glow. _I don't need the others. I can do this_ , she told herself even as the footsteps drew nearer, dragging herself to her feet. She was _not_ defenseless and she was going to prove that right now.

Once she was back on her feet, the woman stopped, leaving a sizable gap between them. It seemed she had a shred of honor in her, at least. Regardless of whatever principles this mysterious creature had, she raised her parasol at the Moon Senshi, her weapon crackling with power as it popped open to deliver her next attack.

"Do you know who I am?"

Just as she was ready to fire, the light of her attack dulled. She lowered her parasol a bit and raised a sterling brow at the soldier. She clearly wasn't expecting her opponent to initiate a conversation.

But Sailor Moon wasn't looking for a reply. "I am the Pretty Guardian of Love and Justice in a Sailor Suit, the Soldier of Mystery whose heart beats for those around her." As she spoke, the clouds disappeared from the sky entirely, leaving only the White Moon. The glow of the crescent emblem on her tiara intensified as it collected the moon's light, charging up with pale blue energy. "And in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you for your crimes!"

For whatever reason, the woman gave the Soldier of the Moon a baffled look and almost looked as though she were hesitating to attack her, even after noticing the build up of energy. But any qualms she had left as soon as they had come. She tightened her silk gloved hand around her parasol and fired.

Focusing the moonlight in her tiara's emblem, Sailor Moon placed her index finger and thumb on it and shouted, "Moon Twilight Flash!" A beam of pale blue moonlight surged forward in a powerful brilliant beam, smashing into the creature's violet ray. As their powers collided, it appeared as though they were of even levels until Sailor Moon's beam blasted through the creature's, breaking right through her parasol then engulfing her entirely. When she screamed in agony, Sailor Moon flashed a smug smile. _See how_ you _like it!_ The light of her own power soon became too much for her to see, forcing her to miss seeing the woman's end. But she knew it was over when she heard her final anguished cry.

When the light faded, she took a minute to catch her breath. Where the creature stood moments ago was a puddle of black ooze in her place. She could hear the shuffle of feet coming from behind her and someone calling her name. She put a hand to her head and shut her eyes in relief, but when she opened them again, she saw pieces of gold gleaming on the ground. Instinctively, she ran her fingers over her brow and felt the noticeable absence of her tiara. _That last attack must've been too much for it..._ As she looked down at its remains, something even more troubling caught her attention.

On the chest bow of her uniform, her Crisis Moon Compact now had a large crack across its surface.

* * *

A/N: Please leave a review!


End file.
